The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-15
Mystery OF The SUN.
what Is Sought to Be Discovered by the
Observers of Eciipses.

what Is Sought TO BE Uncovered by the
Observers of Eciipses.
From the observations of eclipses
made recently it is now well known
that the sun as ordinarily visible to us,
bounded by the photosphere. is only a
mart OF the sun. just outside the at
mosphere is a comparatively thin layer
Of cas-. mainly hydrogen. called the
chromosphere; around this is the
corona. thousands of miles thick. and
around the corona especially along
the equator there is a considerable ex-
tension 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
nromjnences. is that the chemical ele-
nenls are being continually tossed
about in the enormous atmosphere of
the sun and never getting out of it.
The outer layers of the atmosphere are
recognized as much cooler than the
inner Cool or comparatively cool
ma-se, of matter are produced by con-
deu,a1ion in the upper regions from
the hot ascending vapors of the lower
atmosphere. These masses of matter,
having gathered weight. come under
Tire influence of gravitation over
twenty-five times as great as ours,
ana fail with almost incredible
raIidiiy toward the center. 1t is sup
posed that these terrific rains of cooled
matter upon the sun produce what is
anOvn as sun spots. We know how
small meteorites in our own cold
atmosphere are heated to incandes-
cence by friction. Their kinetic en-
rrrr i transformed into heat 1t is
moi difficult TO imagine, therefore, that
these masses of matter. darting down
from a great height above the photo
sphere, such as sun spots indicate, and
that The masses falling into the inner
and gre atly-heated atmosphere should
become broken up in the heat gener-
a;cd by their own kinetic energy into
hot yapors. producing such expansion
Tat the down-rush is transformed into
an Up-rush, which would carry the
chemical elements back TO the cooler
air. here they would gradually con-
dense again and repeat the operation
Of falling into the chromosphere The
effect OF such an uprush is supposed to
be Indicated by the prominences OBJ
served. The matter is supposed to be
thrown up like the water of fountain.
and like it fall back. only to be tossed
up again, but on SO great, so terrible
scale that the imagination is unable
10 form picture OF it.
If this is the correct theory of the
suns existence, it is impossible to
conceive Of any limit to it. Elements
which We can only heat into a glowing
mass are there reduced to vapor and
by expansion thrown one hundred
thousand miles or more away, only to
cool and pelt back again toward the
center OF attraction, there to be thrown
Of again. But effective as the theory
i IN explaining solar phenomena, it is
by no means generally held, and
among those holding it there are great
differences of opinion. The evidence
Is little better than circumstantial,
and il is only by the Industrious work
Of astronomers, with improved ap-
planes, that the mystery can ap-
proach solution. The study of the
sun Is to US the most important study
in astronomy. 1t affects us directly.
To better understand this center of
light and heat is to better understand
our own surroundings. and it is from
the observations of those sent to view
the occasional total eclipses of the sun
that light must come.
o. l. Journal.