New-York tribune., 1905-02-06

Professor Monroe B. Snyder, Of Philadelphia.
Is convinced that the light producing cloud shell
OF the sun c ntains radIum, and that the So
called 'radium emanation' abounds in the CO
ronal envelope of that body. Professor Snyder
occupies the chair OF astronomy i'll the Central
High School Of Philadelphia. and should not
be cJnfounded with the director Of the Flower
Observatory, which is conducted under the au-
spices of the University Of Pennsylvania He
has not been recognized hitherto as conspicu-
Gus contributor to the worlds knowledge Of
solar characteristics, but the fact should not
prove an obstacle to the acceptance of his dis
coveries, If he has made any Of real value.
There is, of C ,urse no inherent improbability
in the announcement that the sun contains
Tadium OF the seventy-five or eighty terres-
trial elements whose credentials are fairly
satisfactory, about half have been identified In
the solar spectrum, and astronomers are i'll
clined to think the others may be associated
with them. There is a growing disposition to
suspect that practically all Of the stars and
their satellites are composed Of the same ma
teTials. The remarkable differences In their
spectra may be interpreted as indicating mere
Iy that these bodies have not at present tha
same temperature. 1t would hardly be safe to
assume that those stars which give definite
signs of only hydrogen or hellum lack the
metals or that stars of the solar type are do
void of radium because it can be found In their
spectra with difficulty, or not at all. However,
to affirm that the sun does contain radlum Is
going much further than TO assert that it may
do so, and the credibility Of the former state
ment must depend on the character Of the evil
dence presented. What Professor Snyder has
to say on this point will be carefully noted by
chemists and astronomers.
Black lines in the solar spectrum, as distin-
guished from bright ones, represent substances
in the photosphere, which lies just below the
reversing layer of vapors, and which is the
principal source of the light of the sun. Pro-
fessor Snyder alleges that he has been able to
Identify five of these as having the same wave
length" or position on the spectroscopic scale,
as certain lines which In terrestrial laboratories
have been found to be characteristic of radium.
Regarding one line he is sure, but as for the
other four he Is ready only to affirm that the
coincidence Is probable. Bright lines in the
solar spectrum are believed to be produced by
luminous matter in the outer envelope of the
sum- the corona Professor Snyder thinks that
he has detected correspondence between three
bright lines observed by himself and three now
Professionally accepted as indicating radiuin,
and also between seven bright solar lines and
the same number which have been named by
spectroscopst named Hartmann belonging
to the 'radium emanation." The latter is q gas
which, in the opinion of Ramsay, Soddy and
some other chemists occupies an intermediate
stage In the supposed transition OF radium into
helium. To the emanation are imputed few
lines not identical with those OF helium.
Nobody can tell whether the claims here put
forward are well founded except astronomical
spectroscopists, like Campbell, of the Lick OBJ
servatory, or Hale, of the Yerkes Observatory.
Even these men will be unable to pass judg
ment until the wave lengths" of the lines in
yolved in the comparison are specified. The
do nnt in
paper reports, but perhaps will be supplied
through the pages of such periodicals as THE
Astrophyscal Journal" The determination OF
the position Of lines in the spectrum is work of
an exceedingly delicate character, and as yet
the world has no reason to think that Profes-
sor Snyder is competent to perform It. Until
astronomers who possess the requisite skill and
experience have verified his statements, there
fore the latter are entitled to little confidence
The immediate effect of a demonstration
that Professor Snyder's belief is we'll ground
ed would be TO stimulate discussion about the
source of the suns heat. For quarter of a
century or more the explanation offered by
HelmholtZ has been the most acceptable to as
trOnomers The great German physicist held
| that mechanical compression of the solar mass
! by grayitation alone sufficient to maintain
! the temperatur for q very long period Of time
! \ new line of speculation has been opened by
! he mere suspicion that the strange element dis
covered by the CurieS is one Of the constituents
| of the sun because a small amount of heat Is
| evolved from radium with amazing persstency.
! How far the accepted doctrine might be modi-
! fed by proof that Professor Snyder is correct
| it is not easy to say, but until such men
| Young Langley and Newcomb evince an in-
| clination to discard the opinions Of Helmholtz
persons who are less versed in stellar science are
| justified in holding to the old doctrine
SKULDUG AGAIN