New-York tribune., 1899-02-26
CARBON VAPOR IN THE Sun.
AN EXQUISITE BIT OF ASTRONOMICAL
OBSERVATION

l.
Observatory, has recently come to light. al
though il was performed several months ago.
In the solar spectrum there were long ago
recognized bands that Indicated the presence
Of carbon. But whether that substance was in
the suns atmosphere or in the earth's and II
the former supposition We're correct in what
part of the immense gaseous envelope of The
orb Of day. dared to say with conf
dence
It has been suggested. 10 DE sure. that the
dazzling brillianc- Of the sun is due To minute
particles Of solid carbon floating in that iumi-
nous cloud shell. the philosophers But this
theory while having an air of probability. has
not yet received substantial demonstration.
Until Professor Hale took up the investigation
the nearest approach to evidence that there IS
carbon in the sun az all was the indefinite an
nouncement in reports Of the eclipse of Janu-
ary lN9S that in some Of the photographs taken
Of spectra Of the appendages Of the sun carbon
bands had been detected.
What Professor Hale has done is to locate
the carbon with precision and thus to estab-
sh its existence beyond a doubt one element
OF his success was the size of his new telescope.
While ne was still living in Chicago, and con-
Quoting now famous work at his private oh
servatory he had tweve-nch refractor. which
gave him an image at the eyepiece. only t"o
inches in diameter. But with he immense forty
inch refractor at Williams Bay he is able to get
seven-inch image Setting the slit Of his
spectroscOpe On the very edge Of that image. he
was able To- observe hundreds of lines represent
ing the gaseous layer known as the chrome
sphere and lying just above the philosophers
Among these he found a considerable number
that had never before been catalogued. But ne
also noticed that 4 certain shaded band lndl-
eating carbon and situated near the small h
line. was beautifully revealed Il was resolved
into it's component lines. spaced from ea'h
other in that wonderfully rhythmica manner
that is still puzzle TO the expert physicist The
clearness with which these lines We're defined
had never before been approached
\ new and decisive experiment was now
found 10 be feasible. BY q slight change in
adjustment the slit of the spcctrosoope was
alternately made TO cover the edge II the photo
sphere-whai Is TO ordinary people the hard.
substantial disk Df the sun-and then Oh" a.
mospheric layer just above it-somethins never
seen without Instrumental aid. This shifting of
the instrument was attended with surious
change in the carbon lines. Al one moment
they were bright and at another they wer"
dark
cand-scent gas ls viewed directly II gives
brisht-line spectrum and when another source
OF light is placed behind it. SO as TO allow
different radiance TO shine through the layer Of
vapor the lines will be- dark Il was thus
demonstrated thai The carbon existed in the
form of vapor in the chromospherc layer and
that when only this layer was covered by the
slit Of the spectroscopc bright lines were visible.
D., eli VA DVprf
photosphere the light Of the latter coming
through the chromos phere. would produce black
lines
After having settled the fact that the carbon
which produces the familiar markings is in the
solar atmosphere Professor Hale undertook to
ascertain It's exact position therein. He then
found that il was in the lowest part of the
chromosphere When that particular envelope
was In an undisturbed condition the carbon
came first iron next and then sodium. mag
nesium heum. calcium and hydrogen But
when an eruption occurred. tossing the chrome
sphere up into enormous bhlows and destroying
all sembance II definite Arrangement, the posi-
ton was not we'll defined
Professor Hale is satisfied that the carbon
layer Is a thin one. and that normally II les
down within FIVE hundred miles Of the suns
surfac--a conclusion that harmonZes Well with
the notion that the glow Of the phot'sphere
emanates chiefly from particles of solid carbon
SUSPENDED therein For it is highly probable
that the intense heat of the sun-estinated by
some scientists AT eight thousand degrees centri-
erad--would raporze litue Of the carbon
I'M the luminous cloud shell and s"nd II W into
the chromosphere
Dr. was only under the most favorable condl-
lions OF terrestrial atmosphere and other related
factors that Professor Hale could make these
observations Tho d,Iicacy OF the work is SHOWN