Evening star., 1937-12-29
UNKNOWN MATTER
NEAR SUN STUDIED
Further Facts Regarding
Mysterious Coronium
Gas Presented.
By THOMAS r. HENRY,
Btaff CORRESPONDENT OF The Star.


Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec 20. 49, New
evidence of the existence Of an un-
known state of matter in the suns
outer atmosphere was presented before
the astronomical section of the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement
Of Science here today by DR.. S. A.
Mitchell, director of the astronomical
observatory of the University of Vir-
ginia.
DR.. Mitchell was in charge of
scientific work on the Navy National
Geographic Society expedition last
summer to Canton Island in the South
Pacific, where observations were made
OF the long total eclipse of the sun.
The evidence consisted of very strong
radiation given off from the outer rim
Of the solar disk in the region of in
visible infra-red light, which cannot
be matched with the radiation emitted
by any earthly element
Observed IL Years Ago.
First observed at an eclipse II years
ago, DR.. Mitchell found this summer
that this was the second strongest un-
known line in the spectrum of the
suns high atmosphere. and he at
tributed it to the mysterious green gas
coronium.
Coronium is the outstanding mystery
In astronomical physics. 1t is the gas
which constitutes a considerable part
OF the corona, or crown of pearlish-
green light, that surrounds the black
disk OF the moon during total eclipse
of the sun.
This gas cannot be identified with
any of the known 80 elements. It
first was noted in 1869. because of a
brilliant green line which appeared
IN the spectrum of the suns crown of
light. When sunlight passes through
a prism, as is we'll known, it is split
into its primary colors or wave lengths.
ranging from blackish-red to violet.
ANY of the elements. heated so that it
will give light, yields similar spec
trum, but with many of the lines miss
Ing and some that are present much
stronger than others. All the spectra
OF the elements added together would
give something like the spectrum of
sunlight. BY means of these light
lines one can tell approximately what
the sun Is made of. or any of the stars.
Attributed to Unknown Element
Everything in the corona checked
with materials known on earth except
} this one brilliant green line. 1t was
naturally attributed to an unknown
element. Helium was discovered in the
same way in the sun and afterwards
located on earth. But the search for
coronium was futile. One after an
other, the elements have been dis
covered and their spectra ascertained
Coronium's green line checks with
none Of them. Only two remain un-
known. Because of their places in
the table of elements physicists are
certain that neither of them could
possibly give the coronium spectra.
Meanwhile. with constantly i'm
proving methods of spectrum photo
eraphy and analysis, % other un-
checkable lines have been found in
the corona and attributed to coronium.
Most of them are very faint Only
Two others are strong enough to give
much help. One is strong red line
almost on the edge of the black dis
covered at the eclipse of 1914. The
other is the line observed with such
strength by DR.. Mitchell, quite
distance beyond the borders of the
Invisible mira red
His observation last summer, DR..
Mitchell said, confirmed that this is
at least as strong as the celebrated
green line. 1t was first discovered
at the eclipse of 1925. The next trace
OF it was obtained by an English
observer at the Russian eclipse last
year. 1t is so strong that a French
astronomer has photographed it with
out an eclipse from the top of high
mountain in the Alps.
Believed Common Element.
Physicists are practically certain
that cronium cannot be a new element
because there is no place for it. They
believe it to be some common element
possibly oxygen or helium-in a
condition which cannot be duplicated
under conditions on earth. Each new
line discovered, DR.. Mitchell said,
brings science a step nearer to the
ultimate solution of the problem, al
though just at present 1t is more con-
fusing than ever.
The spectra taken at the 1887
eclipse, DR.. Mitchell said, confirm the
thesis that more than 80 per cent of
the suns atmosphere is made up of
the lightest of all gasses hydrogen.
Coronium, whatever it may be- prob
ably constitutes very important ele-
ment Of the remaining 10 per cent