The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-07-29

Il
long-yeXed problem. He has
demonstrated, in The clearest man.
ner, where The source of The sun's
heat lies. Ii depends upon a cause
that. at the first glance, would
seem an insignificant one, but
which the arthmelical test, that is
so essential, at once arises To Il DO
si'lon OF the greatest importance.
. Ii is sufficiently obvious that the
sun is in no sense TO be regarded
as solid body. 1t seems very
unlikely that there can be through
out its entire extent any portion
which possesses the properties of
a solid certainly those exterior
parts of the sun which are all that
are accessible TO our observation
are anything but solid; they are
vast volumes of luminous materi-
al floallng in gases Of a much less
luminous nature. The openings
between he clouds form the spots,
while he mighty projections
which leap from The suns surface
testify in the most emphatic man.
ner to The gaseous or vaporOus
character of the outer pant of the
great luminary. A gaseous globe
like the sun, when itpar's with its
heat, observes laws of very diff.
Ierent type from those which a
cooling solid follows. As the heat
disappears by radiation the body
contracts; The gaseous object,
however, increases IN general
much more than a solid body
would 90 for the same loss of heat.
This j, connected with a striking
difference between he manner in
which the two bodies change in
temperature. The solid, as it los,
es heat, also loses temperature ;
he gas, on the other hand, does
not necessarily lose temperature
even though ii is losing heat. In
deed, it may happen That The very
fact that the gaseous globe is los.
ing heat may be the cause of its
actually gaining in temperature,
and becoming hotter. This seems
a paradox at the first glance, but
il will be found not to be so when
due attention is paid to the differ
ent notions that belong to the
words heat and temperature. The
globe ol gas unqueslionably radi.
ateS heat and loses it, and the
globe in consequence of that loss,
shrinks to a smaller size. The
heat or what Is equivalent 10 heat ,
that is lett in the globe, is exhibit.
ed IN a body of reduced dimen.
SONS, and in that in smaller body
the heat shows to such advantage
that the globe actually exhibits a
temperature hotter than before
the loss of heat took place. In
The facts just mentioned we have
an explanation of The sustained
heat OF the sun. Of course we
cannot assume that, in our calcu.
laliOns, The sun is 10 be treated as
if it were gaseous throughout its
entire mas, but it approxlmales
so largely TO the gaseous state IN
the greater part OF its bulk that
we can feel no hesitation IN adopt
ing the belief that the true cause
has been found. To justify the
adequacy Of this method of eX.
planning The facts | may mention
lhe following result of a calcula.
lion: II the sun were to lose suf.
ficieni heat to enable it 10 shrink
in its diameter by one ten thou'.
parl OF its present amount, the
quantity of heat that would be
available in consequence of this
contraction, would suffice TO pro-
vide the entire radiation for a Pc.
riod of Two thousand years. Such
Il diminulion of the suns bulk
would be altogether too small to
be peIceptible by The most refined
measurements that we can make
in the observatory. Hence, we
are able to understand how The
prodigious radiation of ,he sun
during all the centuries Of history
can be accounted for vii hout any
alterations in the dimensions OF
the great lun'inary having yet be-
come appreciable.
But there is a boundry 10 The
prospect of the continuance of the
suns radiation. OF course, as the
loss OF heat goes on the gaseous
parts will turn into liquids, and as
The process is still further protract.
ed the liquids will transform into
solids. Thus we look furward to a
time when The radiation OF the
sun can be no longer conducted
in conformity with the laws which
dictate the loss of heat from a gas
eous body. When this state is
reached The sun may, no doubt, be
an incandescent solid with bril-
lance as great as is compatible
with that condition, but the fur,h
er loss of heat will then involve
loss OF temperature. AT the pres.
ent time the body may be SO fal
gaseous that the temperature oI
The sun remains absolutely con
stani. II may even be the CASE
, that the temperature OF The SUI
|, Notwithstanding the undoubtet
T loss Of heat, is absolutely rising. |
is, however inconlroverlible lha
a certain maximum lemperatur,
having been reached (whether w
have yet reached It or not we d.
not know, temperature then vii
} necessarily decline. There is Ger
/, tainly no doubt whatever that III
I 4