Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1883-06-08
Sournal alla Gonrier.
SINGLE ooPrEs THREE GENTS.
Friday, june 8. 1888.
THE HOT sun.


We remarked yesterday that it was pleas
ing to learn from the distinguished astrono-
mers who have been meeting in Brooklyn
that the sun is not likely to give out. This
information comes at an opportune moment,
for the sun has been burning at such a rate
during the last few days that it does not seem
as if it could last long. It is interesting to
notice some of the talk about the causes of solar
heat INDUCED in at the meeting, though of
course there is nothing very definite about it.
Professor Young, of Princeton, was in
clined to think that there might be some
truth in Helmholz's notion that the sun is
fed on its way through space with meteors
attracted to 1t by its immense mass. He said
that if this theory were true then the earth
ought to get as much hest from shooting
stars as from the sun and the surface of this
globe would have three tons of meteoric mat
ter to the square mile. Yet in some way
this objection could be explained away. II
we are to suppose that heat is derived from
matter distributed through space we should
first remember that the matter would make
itself felt on the planets of the solar system.
Professor Proctor must be wrong in saying
thing, if, as some suppose. a current OF me-
teors toward the sun existed, then mischief
would be played with comets. They would
encounter resistance Then, too, the tempera-
ture of the sun would not be hotter from
such meteoric combustion than the carbon
points in the electric light. Professor Young
had always supposed that the heat in the sun
was not less than 10000 degrees centigrade
Yet, as very slight increase of heat pro-
duces an immense amount of radiation, the
heat of the sun might be lower than he had
supposed yet he could not believe it as low
as that of an electric light. Another puzzling
theory had been proposed, viz, that the sun
sent its heat only to that which receives it,
only to each of the planets, while space out
side Of direct line from the sun to the
planet remains cold. The trouble with that
theory was that heat radiated on all sides and
in waves, not in one direction only. The ad-
vocates of the theory said that solar heat
acted like the law of gravitstion. Finally,
there was theory that solar heat came from
the contraction of the SUMS body, but the
objection to the theory was that it put limit
to the universe. If it is true hypothesis then
the sun could not be more than Is, 600, 900
years old and it could not continue to give
heat more than $1,000 900 years. Such
Limitation is not to be thought of.
Professor White said that he was inclined
to believe in the meteoric combustion theory
Professor Hiscox did not have any very def
mite opinion about the matter, but he limited
that electricity might play very prominent
part in making the sun hot This fheorv is
an attractive one. The learned astronomer OF
the Hartford Times reviews the address o.
Professor Young and gives his ewn impress
sions, as follows: The idea that the sun is a
mass of fire, radiating heat, like a red-hot
stove, through all the solar system, and that
the rosy flames of burning hydrogen, rising
1eo. 600 miles shove the solar surface, and
seen when there is a solar eclipse, prove that
it is such a burning orb, must, it would
seem, itself be in need of revision. It does
not seem probable or a reasonable theory
The cause seems inadequate to the alleged
effect the central fire not big enough to
warm up all parts of the field.
1t may be that what seems to the astrono-
mers great central fire-great in fact, but
absurdly small and disproportioned to the
vastness of the theatsr to be so heated-may
yet turn out to be piece of mechanism of
very different character.
Meanwhile the sun blazes on and on until
all the people in this part of the world are
wishing that its supply of fuel, whatever it
consists of, might not be quite SO generously
used But patience. good friends It will
be cold next winter.