The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-10-23
us mxs1rRy or raE SUN.


What q Sought to Ise Discovered At the
fcciip~e sn December.
The number ~ astronomical parties
that ase preparing 10 20 10 convenient
points in the track OF the total solar
eclipse ~, Dss'eml,er. ard the complete
ncss 81 the equipments they propose 70
take with Tbem for observation. make
the prospects for good results unusually
hopeful The comparatively infrequent
opportunities fur studying this species
Of solar phenomena. and the brief time
that * ayailable under the most favor
able circumstances for observation. make
zach event Of great Importance 70 as
Economical science. particularly as at no
Mher time can so much evidence be OBJ
aimed for determining the real character
Of the sun and its appendages.
Long as the science Of astronomy has
eourisied and great az has been its ad-
vance. il is only within a few years that.
Dy the aid OF the spectroscope and pho
lography. the nature Of the sun and its
surroundings ias been established with
anything like certainty. and even now
tie most widely different theories are
held as 10 the character of the suns ac-
tivity. il has long been known that
around the black disk Of the moon in to-
tai solar eclipses halo of light is seen.
bright next 70 the sun. but fading away
more or less gradually into the black
ness around il. This was supposed 10y
the generality Of astronomers as late as
1870 TO be due either TO the effects pro
iuced by our own atmosphere or by the
moons atmosphere. twas not till later
that astronomers were convinced that
dis halo or corona was a part OF the sun
itself. and that from it must be derived
the most important clews for settling
the mysteries Of the suns heat and
light
From the observations Of eclipses made
recently il is now well known that the
sun as ordinarily visible to US. bounded
/ by the phoiospllere. IS only part Of the
sun. Just outside the photosphere is a
comparatively thin layer Of gas. mainly
/ hydrogen. called the chromcsphere:
around this is the corona. thousands of
miles thick. and around the corona. es-
pecially along the equator. there isacon
siderable extension Of matter about
which little is known. The general
theory which has been built up from a
/ knowledge Of these facts and from the
observations of such phenomena as sun
spots and prominences is thae the chemi-
cd elements are being continually tossed
about IN the enormous atmosphere OF the
sun and never getting out of it, The out
er lavers Of the atmosphere are recog-
nized as much cooler than the inner.
Cool OF comparatively cool masses Of
matter are produced by condensation in
the upper regions from the hot ascend
/ ing vapors of the lower atmosphere.
] These masses Of matter, having gathered
weight. come under the influence of
eraviiation over twenty-five times as
great as ours. and fall with almost in
credible rapidity toward the center. 1t
is supposed that these terrific rains of
cooled matter upon the sun produce
what are known rs sun spots
We know how small meteorites in our
own cold atmosphere are heated TO in
candescence by friction. Their kinetic
energy is transformed into heat 1t is
not difficult to imagine, therefore. that
these masses Of matter darting dowL
from a great height above the photo
sphere Of the sun. creates great disturb
ances near the philosophers. such as sun
spots indicate. and that masses falling
into tire inner and greatly heated atmos-
phere should he broken mp in the heat
generated by their own kinetic energy
into hot vapors. producing such expan-
sioTi that the down rush is transformed
into an up rush, which would carry the
chemical elements back 10 the cooler air.
where they would gradually condense
again and repeat the operation Of falling
into the chromospliere The effect of
such an up rush is supposed to be indi-
Gated by the prominence observed. The
matter is supposed to be thrown up like
the wateruf fountain and like it thrown
iack. only to he tossed up again. but on
50 great. 80 terrific n scale that the imagi-
nation is unable to form picture Of it.
II this is the correct theory Of the sun s
existence. it is impossible TO conceive of
any ililllt 70 II. EiSinenlS WHICH we can
only heat into glowing mass are there
reduced TO vapor. and by expansion
thrown 100000 miles or more away, only
to cool and pelt back again toward the
center OF attraction. there TO be thrown
oil again But effective as the theory is
in explaining solar phenomena. il is by
no means generally held. and among
those holding it there are great differ.
ences of opinion. The evidence is little
better than circumstantial. and it is only
5y the industrious work Of astronomers
with improved appliances, that the mys-
terry can approach solution. The study
Of the sun is to us the most important
study in astronomy. 1t affects US di-
reclly To better understand this center
Of life and heat is to better understand
our own surroundings. and it is from tho
observations of those sent out TO view
the occasional total eclipses of the sur
that light must considerations
Journal