The Brookhaven leader., 1883-12-13

that an atmosphere from 6OO,0)O to
l ,200, 900 miles deep receives no pres
sure, or practically no pressure, since
the spectrum shows that the gaseous
pressure at the limit of the chromo-
sphere is scarcely perceptible. But he
holds that the cometary evidence against
the theory of a gaseous atmosphere is
still stronger. Bodies approaching our
earth with fourteen times its velocity,
encounter such pressure at distance
of ninety miles from its surface-that
is TO say, at twice the assumed height
of our atmosphere to be ONE incan-
descent instantly. But saws Dr.
Hastings. there is the direct evidence
that far within the limits of the corona
the density must he almost infinitely
less than that of our atmosphere at even
sixty mile above the earth's surface.
For the great comet of the last year
passed at distance of 800, 900 miles of
the sun, and therefore deep within the
assumed corOnal atmosphere. This
comet travcrscd the intercoronal space
for several millions of miles with We
locity lSO times that of the earth, not
only without being stopped and precipi
tated upon the surface of the sun. but
even without having been checked in
the least
This certainly is formidable. if not
an absolutely fatal. objection to the the
ory adopted by Prof. Young and many
others, and it is by no means the only
objection advanced by DIR. Hastings.
Thus he points out that the line l,474
X in the spectrum does not behave at
all consistently, or in accordance with
the current hypothesis. Sometimes it
is very bright and apparent. AT other
: times it is almost wanting. In short.
says DR. Hastings, ''if the line demon
strates the existence of an atmosphere,
it demonstrates also inconceivable
changes in it." The doctor concluded
his paper with an attempted eXplana-
ton OF SOAR action based upon the diff
fusion of light. Prof. Young spoke in
answer'to him suhse quently, aud frank
ly said that che had always thought
that the accepted hypothesis was far
from perfect He added, however,
that "the atmosphere of the sun was
not an atmosphere in the same sense in
which one speaks OF the earth's at
mosphere.'
This is rather painfully suggestive of
the shifts to which some theologianS
have been driven in attempting to ac.
count for the problem of evil, and
which shifts MIL has so forcibly cX-
posed in his ESSAYS on religion. If the
suns atmosphere is not what we un-
derstand by our atmosphere, then the
scientific use of that term in eXplana-
ton of solar phenomena is merely a
shift to conceal scientific ignorance.
And, indeed, it is plain enough that
science has not yet d scovered anyth ne
definite about the sun, all theories to the
contrary Notwithstanding. 1t is impos-
siblc to demonstrat ethe incandescence
of the actual solar body or of its en-
velope or envelopes. 1t is impos-
siblc to explain solar action in accord
ance with what is known of natural
law. The center of our system is to-
day as profound mystery to us as it
was to the Chaldeans and Akkadians.
and the Asiatic hypothesis of subtle
cosmic force called Akasa, OF which the
sun is the storehouse and center, is not
more undemonstrable than the hypoth-
eses which our astronomers and phySi-
cists amuse themselves and perplex the
lay public by putting forward.-N J.
Tribune.