Mohave County miner., 1890-06-28

The solar spectrum. n shown In the
sAjnbow or dewdrup, has always been
D familiar object 10 nankin,l. says tbs
Amerioan Analysf but II IL oply With
II the last quarter Of century that the
sparvelous iacts written In the rays Of
light from the sun and stars have been
revealed TO us. Two German scientists,
i,unsen and Kirchoa. first carefully in
vestigatcd the phenomens 81 the spectra
Of the light proceeding from various
luminous bodies, and their lsbors, with
thoss Of others following NJ their foot
steps, have opened up teld Of invesiI
cation which is apparently hmitless !.
Ons Of the most useful applications Of
the spectroscope 10 TO the analysis Of
different substances The chemist
would b. unable 10 detect with his re-
agents the presence Of small quantities
81 certain elements, bu. Let him bring
the substance into the Game OF lamp
and glance through his spectroscope.
and IN moment their prelence or alb
sepoe 10 ipdisPutably proved. A ten
thousandth part Of grain of sodium
cse be easily detected by this means.
aad simply elappiny his hands near the
Game VIII give 81 enough VI this ON
pipresent elemen. 10 cause its character
istic yellow line TO appear At once 10
tho speciroscope- We have by this
means proved the presence OF the rare
element lithium In the blood OF per.
son who has been drinking . mineral
water containing trace Of lis salts.
Not only does spectrum analysis show
us the presence OF familiar elements.
but sometimes lines are observed indi.
eating the presence Of those previously
unknown. Basinm. rubidtin. iuidum,
erllium. thallium, and se'reral Others
were thus discovered. although present
In such small quantities that no ordi.
nary re-agent could hare discovered
them
But still more wonderful are the factl
made known TO W when vie turn The
spectroscope toward the celestial bod
iis. Every ray Of light reaching u
from the sun bears . message which,
with the aid Of the spectrospope. we cas-
read as easily as we can read thoss
photographs which are only visibls
iarough . microscope The character
OF many ancient Inscriptions are still un
deciphercd. but the story told by th.
little dark lines crossing tl,e spectrum
u perfectly familiar TO We. although
only q few chapters Of II have ~ We
been interpreted.
We know that iron. sodium. plati
mum. and many other elemenis ar
present In the sun in shape Of vapor
and II has been well said that II th'
word iron appeared on the disk o
the sun the proof Of its preienee wculs
be much less perfect than Is that fur
pished By the lines il caa.ses to appea,
III the solar spectrum. Tie spectrum
OF fixed stars. comets. nebglg. yariabi'
Stars etc, all gire US an immeHs'
amount Of information coneernin;
them We may Judge Of the tempers
uire of the stars and calculate th'
speed n which they arc moving towar,
or from the earth II tells US tina
comets are. in part ut least gaseou
bodies. and distinguished betweei
those nebulE which are simply distan
clusters Of separate stars and thos
which are masses Of glowing glass NO
Jet cooled down to the liquid or soli
state.
| The spcctroscope shows The presenc
Of more or less moisture In the upps
air. with the accompanying probabilii
OF rain or fair weather. II shows th
presence Of the constituents Of bloc
In solution, besides many other organi
substances; and. finally. The, spectrum
OF the light from certain rare metal
glowing In vacuum Under the infiu
eace of an electric current proves thei
compound nature. although 10 fh
coarse chemical and physical tests the
appear as simple element.