Man's Place in the Universe: A Study of the Results of Scientific Research in Relation to the Unity or Plurality of Worlds, 3rd EditionWallace, Alfred Russel
Science
Man's Place in the Universe: A Study of the Results of Scientific Research in Relation to the Unity or Plurality of Worlds, 3rd Edition
Wallace, Alfred Russel
Life; Plurality of worlds; Stars
Above the reversing layer comes the chromosphere, a vast mass of rosy or
scarlet emanations surrounding the sun to a depth of about 4000 miles. When
seen during eclipses it shows a serrated waving outline, but subject to
great changes of form, producing the prominences already mentioned. These
are of two kinds: the 'quiescent,' which are something like clouds of
enormous extent, and which keep their forms for a considerable time; and
the 'eruptive,' which shoot out in towering tree-like flames or
geyser-like eruptions, and while doing so have been proved to reach
velocities of over 300 miles a second, and subside again with almost equal
rapidity. The chromosphere and its quiescent prominences appear to be truly
gaseous, consisting of hydrogen, helium, and coronium, while the eruptive
prominences always show the presence of metallic vapours, especially of
calcium. Prominences increase in size and number in close accordance with
the increase of sun-spots. Beyond the red chromosphere and prominences is
the marvellous white glory of the corona, which extends to an enormous
distance round the sun. Like the prominences of the chromosphere, it is
subject to periodical changes in form and size, corresponding to the
sun-spot period, but in inverse order, a minimum of sun-spots going with a
maximum extension of the corona. At the total eclipse of July 1878, when
the sun's surface was almost wholly clear, a pair of enormous equatorial
streamers stretched east and west of the sun to a distance of ten millions
of miles, and less extensions of the corona occurred at the poles. At the
eclipses of 1882 and 1883, on the other hand, when sun-spots were at a
maximum, the corona was regularly stellate with no great extensions, but of
high brilliancy. This correspondence has been noted at every eclipse, and
there is therefore an undoubted connection between the two phenomena.
The light of the corona is believed to be derived from three sources--from
incandescent solid or liquid particles thrown out from the sun, from
sunlight reflected from these particles, and from gaseous emissions. Its
spectrum possesses a green ray, which is peculiar to it, and is supposed to
indicate a gas named 'coronium'; in other respects the spectrum is more
like that of reflected sunlight. The enormous extensions of the corona into
great angular streamers seem to indicate electrical repulsive forces
analogous to those which produce the tails of comets.
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