Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-21
THE sun.
observations During the May Eclipse
Ne7C York Sun.

Near York Sun
It appears that some very interesting
observations were made during the
eclirse IN May, but beyond that bare fact
little has been heard from it, At time
when the study of solar phenomena is
attracting everybody's attention, On &C
count Of the theories of their connection
with terrestrial meteOrOlogy, this is I'M
fortunate. The newspapers are ahead of
the scientific organs in giving infOrma-
ton on this subject, and some of the
latter have been obliged to borrow from
the newspapers in order to satisfy their
readers. The new observations seem to
show pretty cOncluslvely that the influ-
ence which produces sun spots is pow
erfully felt in the upper regions of the
solar atmosphere, where it causes won.
derful phenomena. Sun spots 60 in
periods Once in about eleven years
they reach sheir maximum, or become
most numerous. There was a solar
eclipse in 1871 during a sun spot maxi
mum, and another in 1878, when sun
spots were very rare, and the astronO-
mers observed a decided difference in
the form of the corona or great gaseous
envelope that surrounds the sun and
blazes into light during total eclipse in
the most fantastic and wonderful FORMS
The eclipse of this year fell in another
period of sun spot maximum, and it is
an exceedingly interesting fact that the
corona again presented the appearance
seen in 1871. The most striking differ
ence in the form of this magnificent at
mosphere of the sun as seen at sun spot
maXima and sun spot minima seems to
Il, 1,n hn
envelopes of glowing gases are deepest
at the suns equator, and also exhibits
striking forms about his poles, while,
when the spots are most numerous, as at
present, the corona extends away from
the equator, and is not so conspicuous
about the poles, but an enormous guam
titY of hydrogen appears in the solar
atmosphere, glowing with the most in
tense heat. What wonderful thing the
sun appears to be in the light of these
factsl Instead of a round, solid body,
glowing with a white heat, we see IN the
sun globe of gases, subjected to a tenn
perature and a pressure almost too fright
fUl for the mind to cOnceive-a fiery
globe in which iron and the sOlidest sub
stances we know are not merely melted,
but turned into a whirling mass of vapor
which is heaved and tossed with awful
commissions, while around it all, outside
the sun as we see it. there is an indescri-
bable atmosphere thousands and hun
dreds of thousands of miles deep, COM
posed of glowing gases, some of which
if condensed over our heads would set
the world afire with red hot rain. Then
we see, through some cause which we
cannot vet understand this ball of fam
ing gases, which is rushing through
space like a hot shot hurled from a can
non Of infinite power. lashed everyeleven
years into seven fold fury, until its glow
ing surface is pitted with tremendous
chasms, and jets of tanning hydrogen
aud other gases leap from it like gigantic
geysers of fire and set its great upper at
mOsphere aglow.
Another interesting result of tne re-
cent eclipse observations is the evidence
obtained of the existence Of enormous
quantities of vaporized calcium in the
corona, or upper atmosphere of the sun.
If this is so, then we see an element
which, IN limestone and other cOmbina-
tiops, forms whole ranges of solid noun
tains on the earth changed to the condi-
ton Of a shining vapOr, and serving to
make up part of the atmosphere of the
great orb of day The existence of cal
cium in what may be called the body of
the sun was recognized long ago. but
heretofore there has been no good evil
dence that this terrestrial mountain
making element was floating at a ire
mendous elevation above the surface of
the sun.
Again, the recent observations have,
it appears, gone far toward proving,
what has been for some years suspected,
that the chemical elements as we know
them are not able to Withstand the TIRE
mendous temperature of the sun, ard
that they are thus split up into still more
ementary substances, an achievement
far hey ond the power of our chemistry.
II this is so 1t is a great advance in the
spec'roscOpic study Of the sun.
These are only some of the discoveries
made by the astronomers in Egypt, and
which have been so slow to leak out
There are great many other things of
public interest that they could throw
light on; for instance. the sword-shaped
comet which they discovered close to the
sun and photographed, and the dis
cOvery of indications of an atmosphere
in the moon, the particulars of which
would interest everybody, especially if
they can give Us any hope that the moon
is not dead world after all.