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UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA

[graphic]

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, AUG. 30, 1905

PORTION SHEWING LARGE PROMINENCE
PHOTOGRAPH BY M. LE COMTE DE LA BAUME
PLUVINEL, SPAIN

P. 141

to the Sun as she is to the Moon, one of them might at any time leap out and engulf her. And this is literally true.

Towards the close of the last century, a prominence was watched by Professor Young, rising to a height from the Sun's surface of three hundred and fifty thousand miles. Compare that with the distance of the Moon from us.

When speaking of the "surface" of the Sun, you must not picture to yourself any solid or liquid surface. It is only such a surface as exists with great masses of vapour or gas.

A remarkable prominence was seen and photographed in May 1916, one photo following another, recording its changes. It rose rapidly to a tall column, which curved over, and at first parts seemed to be falling back on the Sun. Then these were seen to be fresh streams rising, and presently the main column broke up. All this happened between about 8.50 a.m. and 9.20 a.m. But even later some faint " wisps " could be detected at a height of nearly half-a-million miles above the Sun.

And we must remember that these wonderful outbursts, seen only at the edge, may be perpetually going on all over the Sun.

One thing is clear, that both they and the spots are in their natures different forms of furious tornadoes or cyclones or stormy upheavals of fiercely-heated gases of one kind or another. Certainly, the dark tint of the spots does not mean more than relative coolness. White spots also are seen and photographed; and they, too, no doubt are raging storms of some description.

What a different globe we have in the Sun, from the Moon!-all fire and glow and tempest, in place of cold and serene stagnation.

The whole of our heat and practically the whole of our light come to us from him. Moonlight is reflected sunlight. Planet-light is reflected sunlight. The brightness of the sky, the flashing of ocean-waters— these are borrowed from the Sun. Without him we should be in darkness; colours would exist for us no longer; grass and trees would not be green; the sea Iwould not be blue.

If the Sun's heat were banished as well as his light, ours would be a frozen world. Almost all our warmth we owe to him. Artificial burning is produced through the heat given out, whether in the past or the present, by him. The very coal that we burn is, as has been said, "bottled-up sun-heat;" and our lamps, our candles, our gas, our electricity, one and all depend on his work.

If our Sun were removed to the distance of the very nearest "fixed star," every living creature on Earth would die. Our oceans would become solid masses of ice, and a ceaseless winter-night of appalling cold and blackness would everywhere prevail.

"The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light;
And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels

From forth day's path, and Titan's fiery wheels:
Now ere the Sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer, and night's dank dew to dry,
I must up-fill this osier cage of ours,

With baleful weeds, and precious-juiced flowers.

O mickle is the powerful grace, that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities:
For nought so vile that on the Earth doth live
But to the Earth some special good doth give;
Nor aught so good, but, strain'd from that fair use,
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.” 1

1 Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet.

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