ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 377 



UPOX THE PEOBABLE IDEXTITY OF THE SOLAR FACULJE WITH 

 THE EOSE-COLOEED PEOTLTBEEAXCES SEEX DTJEIXG A TOT AT. 

 ECLIPSE OF THE SUX. 



The following paper has been read before the Royal (English) Astronomical 

 Society, by M. Schweizer, an eminent Russian astronomer of Moscow : 



In an account of the total eclipse of the sun of August 8, 1850, observed at 

 Honolulu, M. Arago threw out a conjecture relative to the possible identity 

 of the solar faculas with the red protuberances seen around the margin of the 

 moon during the occurrence of the totality. M. Schweizer was induced by 

 this circumstance to institute a series of observations of the solar faculas 

 about the time of the total eclipse of July 28, 1851, and to cause drawings of 

 their appearances to be carefully executed. The observations were made 

 with a Fraunhofer instrument of 3*3 inches aperture, and a magnifying power 

 of 55. They were commenced on the 9th of July, and were continued till 

 some time after the occurrence of the eclipse. By comparing these drawings 

 with the accounts of the protuberances seen during the total eclipse of July 28, 

 M. Schweizer shows that a remarkable analogy exists between the latter 

 phenomena and those to which the drawings relate. Thus, with respect to 

 the hook-shaped protuberance, seen by all observers of the eclipse on the west- 

 ern limb of the sun, at a distance of about 279 from the north pole of the solar 

 disc, counting towards the east, there was found upon the drawings a similarly 

 formed facula, having the same position, which continued from the morning 

 of the 26th of July, when it was first seen to approach nearer and nearer the 

 margin of the sun's disc, and had already quitted it on the 28th, in virtue of 

 the sun's rotation. An equally satisfactory agreement was found to present 

 itself upon comparing the drawings of the faculas with the descriptions of the 

 isolated red patch seen in the vicinity of the hooked protuberance, and also 

 in several other similar instances. M. Schweizer sums up the results of his 

 comparison in the following terms: 



1. For every group of faculse which appeared on the western margin of the 

 sun's disk within two days before the eclipse, and for every group which 

 appeared on the eastern margin within a similarly short time after the eclipse, 

 and which were demonstrated by the drawings not to be on the sun's disk on 

 the 28th of July, corresponding protuberances were seen. 2. Notwithstand- 

 ing the rather sudden changes of form to which facul* are subject, still there 

 were several of them which presented a striking resemblance in this respect 

 to the corresponding protuberances. 3. On the western border of the sun 

 the configuration of a hooked, a round, and an elongated protuberance, was 

 exactly the same as that of the corresponding and similarly formed faculas. 

 M. Schweizer remarks, that it is difficult to suppose so striking a coincidence 

 to be purely accidental, and that the probability rather is, that the protu- 

 berances are no other than the faculas which we so often see upon the sun's 

 disk. This conclusion might be objected to by some persons, on the ground 

 that the light of the faculae is generally more intense than that of the other 

 parts of the solar surface, while, on the other hand, the protuberances shine 

 only by a moderate red light. M. Schweizer, however, seems to think that 



