Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-11-09
MYSTERY OF THE SUh.
What Is Sought to BE Discovered by the
ObSeI OF Ec.ipSeS.

OhSti VefS OF EcslDSeS-
FrCm the observations of eclipscs
made recently it is now well known
that the sun as ordinarily visible to us.
bounded by the philosophers, is only a
part OF tie sun. just outside the at
mosphere is comparatively thin layer
OF gas mainly hydrogen. called the
chromosphere; around this is the
corona. thousands of miles thick, and
around the corona, especially along
the equator, there is Il considerable eX-
tension of matter about which little is
known. Tue general theory which has
been built up from a knowledge of
these facts. aud from the observations
of such phenomena as sun spots and
prOminences. is that the chemical ele-
ments 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 us much cooler than the
inner. Cool or comparatively cool
masses of matter are produced by con-
deneation in the upper regions from
the hot ascending vapOrs of the lower
atmosphere, These masses of matter,
having gathered weight come under
the influence of gravitatiOu over
twenty-five times as great as ours,
and fall with almost incredible
rapidity toward the center. 1t is sup
posed that these terrific rains Of cooled
matter upon the sun produce what is
known as sun spots. We know how
small meteorites in our own cold
atmosphere are heated to incandrs-
cence by friction Their kinetic en-
ergy is transformed into heat. 1t is
not difficult to imagine, therefore. that
these masses of matter darting down
from q great height a owe the photo
sphere, such as sun spots indicate, and
that the masses falling into the inner
and greatly-heated atmosphere should
become broken up in the heat gener-
ated By their own kinetic energy into
hot vapors, producing such expansion
that the dOwn-rush is transformed into
an up-rush. which would carry the
chemical elements back to the cooler
air, where 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 a fountain.
and like it fall back only to be tossed
up again, but on so great, so terrible
a scale that the imagination is unable
to form picture OF it.
If this is the correct theory of the
suns exist nee, it is impossible to
conceive of any limit to it. Elements
which We can only heat into a. glowing
mass are there reduced to a yapOr 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
off again. But effective as the theory
is in explaining solar phenomena, it is
by no means generally held, aud
among those holding it there are great
differences of opinion. The evidence
is little better than circumstantjal.
and it is only by the industrious work
of astronomers, with improved ap-
pliances, that the mystery can APP
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. aud it is from
the observations of those sent to view
the occasional total eclipses of the sun
that light must come.-Provldence
(R. l. journal.