THE 



EDINBURGH NEW 



PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNAL. 



Account of the Observations which have revealed to us the 

 Physical Constitution of the Sun^ and that of different Stars : 

 Exatninatio7t of the Conjectures of the Ancient Philosophers ; 

 and of the Positive Data of Modern Astronomers, concerning 

 the Place in which the Sun should be considered among the 

 vast number of Stars with which the Firmament is strewed. 

 By M. Arago * 



About the middle of last July, astronomers from the prin- 

 cipal observatories of Europe repaired to Norway, Sweden, 

 Germany, and Russia, locating themselves in those towns 

 where the eclipse of the sun on the 28th of that month would 

 be total. They expected that this phenomenon, studied with 

 powerful instruments, would lead to satisfactory explana- 

 tions of different appearances observed in previous eclipses, 

 and upon which no one had ventured definitely to give an 

 opinion. What ! may exclaim some fretful individuals, who 

 are little acquainted, I suspect, with the history of Astronomy ; 

 what ! does the science regarded the most perfect still supply 

 problems for resolution ; and even concerning the luminary 

 around which all the planets revolve ? Is it true, that, in 

 many respects, we are not more advanced than were the 

 philosophers of ancient Greece % 



It has been conceived that these questions should be taken 



* Read at the Annual Public Meeting of the Five Academies of the French 

 Institute, 25th October 1861. 



VOL. Lll. NO. CIV. — APRIL 1852. N 



