14 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



a hundred years ago. He finds the temperature to go on 

 diminishing as we proceed from the centre to the limb of 

 the sun ; the heat is absorbed less than the light, and the 

 principal absorption of the heat is confined to an extremely- 

 thin shell close to the photosphere. The heat that is received 

 from the sun's edge is relatively much greater than the quan- 

 tity of light. It would seem, therefore, that both at the solar 

 limb and at the nucleus of the solar spots the light is cut off 

 by the solar atmosphere in a much greater proportion than 

 the heat. From the nucleus of a spot we receive fifty times 

 more heat than light ; and it becomes evident that the solar 

 atmosphere exercises a selective absorption to a very marked 

 decrree. Father Secchi has stated that a decided difterence 

 in temperature is found if we compare the temperatures at 

 the solar equator and the solar poles; but Mr. Langley finds, 

 on the contrary, that the temperature is sensibly the same at 

 all portions of the solar limb. 6 B^ LXXX., 819. 



ON OBSERVATIONS OF SHOOTIXG-STAKS FROM BALLOONS. 



In a balloon ascension made on the first of August, De 

 Fonvielle states that seven passengers accompanied him, the 

 ascent taking place at ten minutes often in the evening, and 

 the descent at a quarter of four in the morning. The aero- 

 nauts had no lamps wuth them ; but the starlight permitted 

 them to recognize the route they followed. No instrument- 

 al observations could be made, but in lieu thereof the shoot- 

 ing-stars aj^pear to have been carefully observed. Of these 

 forty- two were counted in all parts of the heavens, some 

 very brilliant. Eight or nine fell from the zenith in sensibly 

 vertical paths. The evening twilight lasted until half-past 

 ten; the morning twilight began at two o'clock. 6 -Z?, 

 LXXXL, 204, 205. 



OBSERVATIONS OF THE SHOOTING -STARS OF THE IOtH OF 



AUGUST, 1875. 



The shooting-stars that appear on the night of the 9th, 

 10th, and 11th of August are ordinarily known as the Per- 

 seides, inasmuch as their radiating point is in that constel- 

 lation. They have been carefully observed in France dur- 

 ing the past month ; and from the observations made at 

 Toulouse by his assistants, Tisserand concludes that besides 



