Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-02
THE SUN A BIG ELECTRIC LIGHT.
ITS Dazzling Briiliancy Caused by Glow.
ing Clouds of Carbon.

INK SlouuS VI SaEDous
Tho light Of tho great orb of day cma-
mates solely from a closely fitting robo of
surprising brightness. The great bulk Of
the sun which lies within that brilliant
mantle Is comparatively obscure, and
might at first seem 10 play but an unim.
portant part so far as tho dispensing Of
light and heat IL concerned.
With regard to the thickness of tho robe
we might liken this brilliant exterior, says
Sir Robert Ball, to the delicate, 1lmy skin
of tho peach.
As the ability of tho sun TO warm and
light this earth arises from tho proper
tics of tho thin, glowing shell which sur
rounds it, we want to ascertain what that
special stuff can bc which enables the sun
to DO so useful to US jewellers of tho earth
This great problem has been solved and
the result Is extremely interesting and in
structvc. 1t has been discovered that this
material is carbon
A lump of coke only differs from piece
Of carbon by the ash which the coke leaves
behind when burned. As charcoal is al
most entirely carbon, so wood is largely
composed Of this same element.
In tho ordinary incandcsccnt electric
lamp the brilliant light is produced by n
glowing fllamcnt of carbon. The power.
full current of electricity experiences so
much resistance as 1t flows through this
badly conducting substance that 1t raises
the temperature Of tho carbon wire SO us
to mako it dazzlingly whito hot.
There is no known metal and perhaps
no substance whatever, which demands so
high temperature to fuse II rs does the
element carbon. \ fiamcnt of carbon,
and % flamcnt of carbon alone, will remain
INFUSED and unbrolicn when heated by the
electric current to tho dazzling brilliance
necessary for effective illumination.
Modern research has now taught us that,
just rs the electrician has to employ car
bon as tho immediate aRer ~ producing
tho brightest of artificial Ii Va down here,
so the sun in heaven uses precisely tho
Same element as the immediate agent in
tho production of its transccndcnt light
and heat.
Owing to the extraordinary fervor which
prevails in the interior parts of tho sun,
all substances there present, no matter
how difficult we may find their fusion,
would have TO submit to bo mcltcd-nay,
even to be driven off into vapor.
In the presence of the intense heat OF
the inner parts Of the sun even carbon it
self Is unable to remain solid
Tho buoyancy of carbon vapor Is ono OF
its most remarkable characteristics; &C.
cordingly immense volumes of the carbon
steam in tho sun soar ut q higher level
than do tho vapors Of the other elements.
AS the buoyant carbon vapors soar up
ward through the suns atmosphere they
attain at last TO IN elevation where the
fearful intensity of the solar heat has sc
fap nbntoI fhot tbntuh MAINLY nj nj ba,
clements may still remain entirely gas
eous, yet tho exceptionally refractory car
bon begins to return TO tho liquid state.
! Under the influence of chill the carbon
vapor collects into myriad host Of littl,
beads of liquid.
Each of these drops OF liquid carbon II
| the glorious solar clouds has tcmpera
| turc and corresponding radiance vastl,
exceeding that with which tho flamen
| glows in the incandcscent electric lamp
! Boston Globe.