Year: 1875

inches diameter will collect sufii
cient heat tomelt not only iron, bu
even some of tho rocks. What
then, must be tho amount of hea
falling upon the surface Of the earth
eight thousand miles in diameter
Furthermore, it must be remember
ed that the sun warns and illumi
mates all the other planets OF oul
family of worlds; and still more
that an inconccivable greater
amount of heat is radiated in en-
PITY spaco, where there are ne
worlds to receive it. The sam,
remark wi i apply to the light O
the sun. The intensity of its ligh
is one hundred and iorty-six times
greater than the oyy-hydrogen, OIL
calcium light, so intolerably bright
even to the strongest eye. Anc
yet this calcium light, when placed
before the sun, is seen rs {
black spot upon It's surface. Hence
we learn that the black spots seen
on the suns surface may not be
actually dark, but only compare
lively so.


But there are other forces ope
rating on the sun of which we car
have no adequate conception. We
have referred to tongues of flame
fifty thousand miles high. But
these sink into insignlficance com,
pared with those wondrous erup
tions seen from the suns surface
If one of our volcanoes should throw
matter a single mile into the air
it would be regarded rs a most
amazing phenomenon; but when
We see a huge column of luminous
matter several thousand miles in
diameter, rising to the astounding
hight Of one hundred and sixty
thousand miles, we may well be
overwhelmed in amazemcnt, and
exclaim: "What hath God
wroughtW


These columns of varlous hight
and form, and diameter, are con.
stantly seen shooting up and out
from every side Of the sun, and
falling back to its surface as does
the water Of fountain. Some,
times they spread out at their up
per surface as do our clouds
and remain suspended for some
time indicating that some of The
erupted matter is very light, ant
that there is probably some kind o
an outer atmosphere Of the sun
sufficiently dense to hold suspend
ed thls matter, whatever it be, al
our air holds the clouds above th,
earth.


Now lot it not for moment b'
supposed that all this is mere con
lecture. These wondrous columns
which formerly were supposed tC
bo visible to us only during tota
eclipses of the sun, can now be seer
and accurately measured with suita
bic apparatus on any clear day
and photographs of the sun ar,
being constantly taken by astrono
mers, exhibiting these most AS
founding phenomena.


Indeed, tho whole surface of the
sun appears like the ocean in a fur
ious storm, when mountain waves
are raging and tossing in wild con
fusion, and dashing with terrific
force against the rock bound coast


But this only family illus strates
the rage Of elements on the solar
surface. The ocean waves rise only
about a hundred feet while the
waves of fire on the sun dash VI
and out in every direction, more
than fifty thousand miles in an in
credible short time.


1t has been alceady stated that
the sun is travelling through space
gathering up as he proceeds the
solid and strayed masses that are
dashing in all directions, and ap.
propriating them as fuel 10 keep W
his light and heat. The question
may here erise, will he not soor
consume all the bodies within hi:
reach, and then, having no more
sources of supply, at last be extin
gushed, and our world, and tn,
whole family of worlds to whicl
we belong, be left in utter dark
ness and exposed to a degree o
cold that Artic regions have nevei
experienced.


To this we may reply, were th'
sun a masss OF solid coal i
would require five thousand year
to consume tins mass, supposin,
that sufficient oxygen could be sup
piled for the combustion.


But this is not all. Such is th
vast extent of the suns orbit, 0
path in which he travels, that it i
estimated that eighteen million
and two hundred thousand year
are required to pass once througI
this mighty circle, so that he ha
this wide field TO explore in searcI
Of food to feed his mighty flames.
Nor is this all. AS the sun
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