Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-08-29
is THE sun WASTING P


Is THE sun WASTING ?
During the last twenty years the sub
'ect OF the constitution of the sun ha:
attracted very great attention, not only
amongst scientific men, but amongst in
telligcnt readers of looks and news
papers. We think it, therefore, Of in
terest to give our readers a popular &C
count of the different theories upon the
suns heat, and especially new one
bearing the name of DR. Siemens, whose
reputat on is so well known from his
discoveries OF metallurgy and electric
itv, and who filled the chair of the Brit
ish ssociation for the vancement q
Science at its meeting at Southampton
Most of our readers doubtless know
the chief figures which denote the di
mansions OF the sun, especially since
the tran 1T of Venus eight years ago lei
to correct on of the dstan of the
sun from the earth, ace ording to tho
figure that had for many years been &C
copied. But perhaps not so many per.
sons have realized the enormous figures
that represent the heat of the soar orb
as contrasted with the figures that we
are familiar with on the sub Jet OF ter
reStrial heat.
The volume of the sun is about one
million three hundred thousand times
that of the earth, and its distance from
us, in round numbers, about ninety
three millions of miles. And since we
all of us every day see the wonderful
effects of the heat and light which even
this little world of ours receives, we
can form some faint idea of the enor.
nous amount of heat continually given
out by the sun and the prodgious waste
that must be going on. And if we would
form any real estimate of this heat ant
waste, we must remember that all the
light and heat which is received by thC
earth and other planets is a very small
proportion of the amount that is being
continually poured forth. 1t might be
$ own with moderate knowledge Of
geometry, that the amount SO shed int
spa c, where there are no planets to re
CO We it, is two thousand two hundred
and fifty million times as great rs thai
which is received all the planets
which form our solar system.
We naturally ask What is the condi
ton of body which is capable o.
throwing out for thousands, and per
haps millions, of years, so vast az
amount of light and heatP Tor it ha
been computed that the temperature d
the surface o. the sun would be ex
pressed by eighteen thousand degree,
of Fahrenheits thermometer, or be
tween eighty and ninety times the tenn
perature of boiling water This is about
live times the highest temperature tina
man is able to produce by artificial
means. Also the light given OF from
the same surface is computed rs being
five thousand three hundred times n orr
intense than that of the molten metal il
a Rcssemer converter, though that is o.
an almost binding brilliancy. Or il W,
compare il with the ly-hydroger
flame, the sun sheds light equal to :
hundred nd forty-s times the intensity
of the limc-light.
So intense is the heat OF the sun tina
no nown substance could remain i'm {
solid form when subjected to such q
temperature. Hence il has been con
cluded that the entire orb, vast us il is
is an aggregation of gases altogether
void of any & ace OF liquid or solid sub
ance; moreover, that the outside Wis
iblc surface of the sun flows like the
surface of the sea, or rather like vapor
Gus masses of cloud and misty air. Blu
we must not suppose that this yaporous
material is of little weight throughout
the whole substance of the sun; for il
consequence Of the suns vast size, tn,
pressure in the inward port ons must b,
SO great through the influence of attrac
ton that the internal mass is believed
to be denser than water And as tn,
late Prof. Clerl, Maxwell and other
have shown thatthe viscosity or tcnacit,
of gas increases fast with the rise o
its temperature, it is possible that TIT
vaporous matter of the suns interior
would resist motion like mass o. pit
or putty.
When thinking about this cnormou:
amount OF heat, philosophers have nat
urally inquired whether it is being dis
sipated gradually, or whether it is b,
some means sustained undminished
and il so sustained, by what means
There have until recently been put fortl
two theories on the matter; but recent
ly third has been preached by Dr.
Siemens, and II has appeared in thu
Nineteenth CcRturg under the title O
"A New Theory of the Sun"-that is
rs regards the sustentat;on of its ligh
and heat We will mention the ole
theories in their natural orders. First
all orr everyday experience teaches III
that when combustion is taking plac,
the substances which are giving on
light and heat are parting with thei
matter, and causing it TO assume differ
ent forms, as gas and aresiduum of ash
es. We see this in the burning of
piece of wood or coal, or even piece o
paper We do not say the substance i
lost. II we could gather up all the prod
ucts of the combustion we should n,
that they had not lost particle of the,l
weight, but that the form of them wa
materially changed This, then, w,
conclude is the case " it'll tie sun. Al
we have stated above, the enormous
light and heat which is beng continual
ly thrown into space proves that tn,
sun is converting much of its substance
into other forms; and, unless the vast,
be supplied from some external source
the material of which the orb is com
posed c,n not fail to be gradual,
diminish 'ng; though in the cas- Of !
body of such large dimensions il mus
be a long time c'orc there is any per
ceptible diminution either OF volume o
heat. But the los of heat Is by som,
believed to te ompcnsat' d by the d m
mutton of vol me. Fro. Ncwcombe
OF Yale College. United States, hal