THE RECENT ECLIPSE OF THE SUN. 25 



in those distant regions. It was marked with radial streaks of great 

 brilliancy, separated by relatively dark furrows, and extending all 

 round the upper and lower parts of the moon's circumference, but less 

 conspicuous (or altogether wanting the account is not very clear on 

 this point) at the sides. This observation is of great interest, because 

 the upper and lower parts of the sun's circumference at the moment of 

 observation corresponded to the sun's equatorial regions, while the 

 6ides corresponded to the position of the solar poles. Mr. Lockyer's 

 account thus seems to support a theory lately urged, according to 

 which the corona is caused by radial emanations chiefly from the neigh- 

 borhood of the solar equator. It is clear, however, from the rifts (es- 

 pecially as shown in the figure), that such emanations cannot be con- 

 tinuous, but must take place locally, and, as it were, fitfully. 



But the most important account which has yet reached Europe is 

 that contained in a letter from M. Janssen, the eminent spectroscopist, 

 to M. Faye, the president of the French Academy of Sciences. It 

 should be noted, in the first place, that in a letter to the secretary of 

 the Academy Janssen says : " I have just observed the eclipse, only a 

 few moments ago, with an admirable sky ; and, while still under the 

 emotion occasioned by the splendid phenomenon which I have but now 

 witnessed, I send you a few lines by the Bombay Courier. The result 

 of my observations at Sholoor indicates, without any doubt, the solar 

 region of the corona and the existence of material substances (matures) 

 outside the sierra." Then follows his letter to the president, which 

 runs thus : " I have seen the corona as I could not in 1868, when I gavo 

 myself wholly to the prominences. Nothing could be more beautiful 

 or more brilliant ; and there were definite forms which exclude all possi- 

 bility of an origin in our own atmosphere." He proceeds to describe 

 the coronal spectrum, confirming the Ameidcan observations with one 

 notable exception : he recognized the solar dark lines in the spectrum 

 of the corona, a proof that no inconsiderable portion of its light is re- 

 flected sunlight. Then he draws his letter to a conclusion with these 

 decisive words: "I conceive that the question whether the corona is 

 due to our own atmosphere is disposed of (tranchee), and we have be- 

 fore us in perspective the study of the regions lying outside the sun, 

 which must needs be most interesting and fruitful." I could wish that 

 the same opinion had been received when it was advocated twenty-two 

 months ago in almost the same words. CasselVs Magazine. 



