New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
WHY SOLAR ECL1PsES ARE STUDIED.

II the weather in certain parts OF Norway,
Siberia and Japan has been propitious during
the few hours preceding tO-days dawn in
America beautiful spectacle will have been
witnessed by thousands OF amateur and profess
slonal astronomers in Northern Europe and Asia.
A round. black shadow. of the same size as the
suns apparent disk. will have gradually en-
croached upon the latter Just at the moment
of complete observation a delicate white halo
previously unseen and entirely surrounding the
hidden orb, suddenly flashed out into view
From the inner 20 the outer edge this crown
faded away in brilliancy to rothngness. There
was some irregulariy OF outline no doubt, and
possibly faint indications in the general struc-
ture of tufts and curved streamers, reaching
outward almost radially. But after an interval
varying from 100 to 100 seconds this lovely phe-
nomenon disappeared as abruptly as it appeared,
and then the sun was seen slowly emerging from
behind the interposed lunar sphere In that
short time however, hundreds Of photographs
were secured, most OF them with instantaneous
exposures at each Of dozen different stations.
And If that result was attained, the scientists
of the various eclipse expeditions will feel am
ply repaid for the months of preparation which
they made for this mornings event.
The special interest which centres In the
corona relates less to the constitution of that
appendage Of the sun than TO the forces CON
cernpd in producing It. We already know that
In the outer region Of It there Is dust cool enough
to shine by reflected light, while In near the
luminous cloudshpll Of the sun the corona Is
composed chiefly Of incandescent gases; but
nowhere has this wonderful cloud enough den
sty to offer perceptibe resistance to the swift
fying comets which occasionally invade those
precincts of space If, however, you ask the
wisest student OF solar physics whence came
the matter composing the outer envelope Of the
sum- he will shake his head. though admitting
the probability that most OF the material in
question originally resided in the lower layers
of the solar atmosphere. Well, supposing such
to be the case. were these enormous volumes
Of rarched stuff thrown upward by purely me-
chanlcal forces: explosions within the nucleus OF
the sun due either to chemical combinations or
the contraction OF the mass? This Is very
common explanation of the disturbances which
produce sun spots and promnences. Why is it
not equally applicable TO the corona? Professor
Schaeberle. Of the Lick Observatory. believes
that 1t Isl and he also thinks that these volcanic
forces operate entirely in what may be called
the tropical regions rather than the polar re-
gions Of the sun.
On the other hand, suspicious have been en-
tertained that electric magnetic action ac-
counts in n measure for the existence OF the
corona Astronomers are inclined to concede
that the propensity Of a comets tail to point
away from the sun, no matter whether ts head
Is approaching or recedlng from that orb, il due
to electric repulsion exerted by electrified areas
of the suns surface. If so, why may not the
same influence repel coronal matter and operate
against the attraction OF gravitatlon? Again. n
resemblance has been traced between the curva-
ture and position Of the corona streamers and