TV ON THE NATURE 01 THE SUN* 



Newterfnsof Dr. Herichel, in confequencc of the improvements in his 

 a p enonaena. f e j c f c() p CS ^ anc j t }^ e a 4 yMlces m his knowledge of the phyfical 

 confiruclion of the fun, has rejected the old terms of fpots, 

 nuclei, penumbra: Sf liiculi, and lias fubftituted thole of 

 openings, (hallows, ridges, nodules, corrugations, indenta- 

 tions, and pores. 

 The luminous j n y, f ormer p a p Cr n the nature and conftruclion of the 

 fun is of the na- Urn and fixed liars, the author (hewed that the lucid fubfiance 

 ture of clouds, f the f un j s no ± a liquid no r an elallic fluid, but that it exifls 

 or atmofphencal . ,,,-••'• ,i a 



phenomena. m tn e manner of luminous clouds iwimming m the traniparent 



atmofphere of the fun, or rather of lucid deeompofitions 

 taking place within that atmofphere. "* His prefent obferva- 

 tions confirm and extend that induction. They are arranged 

 under certain "enunciations, vfrhich I ftiall proceed to give, 

 with fo much of the particular facts as may be requihte for 

 their elucidation. 



Of Openings. 



Openings; or Openings arc places where the luminous clouds of the fun 



places where the . > , -, • » i r a r 



luminous folar are removed, 10 as to exhibit the opaque globe ot the lun 



clouds are re- through the aperture. On the 4th of January, 1801, there 

 was a large opening much paft the centre of the fun, with a 



Particular de- fhallow about it, as exhibited in Fig. 1, Plate II. On the 

 preceding fide the thicknefs of the fhallow was vifible from 

 its furface downwards, but on the following fide the edge 

 of the fhallow only could be leen, but not its thicknefs. The 

 fide of the elevation furrounding the fhallow was alfo feen 

 going curvedly down to the furface of the lhallow on its pre- 

 ceding fide. Fig. 2 reprefents a fe&ion of the fame opening, 

 in which the lines a b c rf/are fuppofed to be drawn from the 

 eye of the -obferver, correfponding with lines marked by the 

 fame letters in Fig. 1 . The line d goes through the opening 

 to the furface of the fun A B. Fig. 2 (hews evidently 

 why the thicknefs of the (hallow and elevation of the luminous 

 parts are feen on one fide and not on the other. 



General fa£is jew Large openings have generally fhallows about them. Many 



wpenings. opening, are without (hallows. Small openings are generally 



without (hallows. Openings have generally ridges and nodules 

 about them. The openings have a tendency to run into each 



• Philof. Tranf. 1795, p. 72. 



other, 



