Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-14

rLntcsrspbea ana analysed spscfroscop-
ic.lsy. Never IN the whole history II
,stronomy has nrzr opportunity fSi
srch work b-~n Afforded and - skill
fully and eosnplesesy improved by -
trelousrs - THAI u ths recent selpsp.
The full harvest # their observations
ssszns 70 pe0zniss soaas startling ssvsaz~
t1onA
NJ FiAmmArion, the frsnch asfrolo-
m~s. after rss.sing tbs chiiisn cable dis
patches announcing Professor hcksr-
ms recent ,sciirse observations. V ~
pors<~i 10 hnvs ssil; They confirm the
tlsspry that tbs sun Is surrounded by .
luminous Atznosph1se ~ . distance equal
~ ons-cixhsh IT tins SUMS diAmrtss."
Scarcrly squArs>r ss = century sgomany
sssronomers Questioned whether tbs %
lar atmosphere tad any marked sxtss,-
saou. and even doubted WHISTLER ths co
roua was solar sppsnjsgs ~ Al Bat
In the hight Of tbs late eclipse u 10 not
astonishing that 81 astronomer cxpruz~s
shs oplnioa that tho suns atuospherU
extends outward nore than 100 go milsN
The srupeivs forces Of she sun must 10
ENORMOUS fndssd 10 sjscs the matter
composing sis flaming prominsnces NOT
infrvqusnsiy observed n. go miles broad.
with an uprush of 22o miles = second and
attaining Occasionally IN elevation u
40. 90 mica All prominsnces. Zoilner
and Respighi have shown. arc originally
pLrnomen4 Of erups1oa. prsceded by rro-
silinear jsss. either vertical OF obliqus.
ssesniiiag to great heights and then seen
falling back again toward tho sun like
the jetz of our fountains. The eruptive
pru,ninences are. as Professor Young
says. generally associated with active
srn spots Since during the late eclipse
these prorninences were conspicuous in
connection with al unusually brilliant
and extended corona and great spotted
ness. tho before seemingly established
law that the corona's size and lrminosi-
~ arc IN direct proportion 90 the suns
spot producing activity Is strikingly cor
soborased
Professor Schaeberle cabled from Chill
THAT his eclipse observations confirm his
mechanical theory Of the corona. which
regards this vast appendage rs composed
al streams u matter elected with initial
veloclties Of 80 miles a second from the
sun by forces which are most active near
the sun spo, zones. Indications Of such
eruptiye action have been often observed
In the higher regions Of the prominences
A further confirmation of this theory Is
that the corona In outline ressmbled that
which Professor SchGeberle predicted
some months ago. rs far back a. the
eclipse Of 1870 Mr.. Brothers noted that
.'prominences were moet numerous on
the side of the sun where the corona Was
brightest" an evidence that the coronal
matter Is not less than that Of the promi-
p~nces elected from the srn.
Mr.. Proctor. discussing the observa-
lions Of that eclipse. concluded: Il con-
ccive we have now clear evidence Of q
form Of aetion-but whether eruptive,
electrical or r-pulsive Is not yet obvious
-exerted outward TO enormous distances
By the sun and with maximum emery
over tho spot zones. but local. variable
and probably intermittent"
IL will be seen. then. that Professor
Schaeherle's theory. though by no means
established. sccords with old observa-
TONS No other explanation Of the corona
haa been offered save that which attrib-
utes it to reflection from myr:ads Of in
candescent meteors or cosnical dust cir
culating around the sun. But this by.
pothesis has never been supported. Ii
the corona were chiefly due To meteoric
dust revolving around the sun. We should
certainly expect 10 see il regular. and
not - il generally appears. capped. quad
rlaferal or four rayed, with immense
wings or extensions. There seems. there
fore. TO be no other inference possible
but that which telescope scrutiny has
long suggested-that the corona is orig
mated and maintained by countless ejec-
tions issuing from beneath and flung
through the phososphsre by the suns
vertical or volcanic forces
II the final study Of the coronal photo
graphs obtained sustain this view. sci
snce will have MT le~st working by
pothexis for the determination Of tho
cyclical variations Of solar heat and the
corresponding effects upon terrestrial
temperatures and climates The theory
in question obviously opens up a new
and fascinating inquiry into the anoma-
hes " the earth's seasons which are due
10 variations % solar activity. Weseem
10 be Thus happily led TO the very TIRES
hold OF one Of the grsndest discoveries Of
modern science. which promises when
developed to yield q rich harvest Of prac-
teal resnitA
Now that most numerous and pcrfec,
photographs Of all the principal append.
ages at tho sun have been secured In
Chih and Africa. astronomers should
give their best energies e. the study u
the data No problem they can now at
tack can be Of greater interest or i'm
portanoe To science and the worid.-Sew
NarL H.r.iI