ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 331 



Mountains in the Moon. — The German astronomer, Maedler, has 

 measured the height of 1,093 mountains in the moon. Twenty- 

 two of these are higher than Mount Bhmc, which is within a few 

 feet of being 3 miles high; 6 are above 19,000 feet. The highest 

 observ^ed mountain in the moon is 24,844: feet high. 



Chemical Analysis of the Solar Atmosphere. — Rayet announces 

 that he has been for some time aware of the existence of a new 

 bright spectral line from the above source, which lias not been 

 before pointed out. It is between G and H of Fraunhofer, and is 

 the fourth of the principal brilliant rays of hydrogen, three of 

 which have already been recognized in the " chromosphere." 

 It is often bulbous or globular in appearance, like F. This 

 makes 6 bright rays now known from the chromosphere, and it 

 is remarkable that 4 of these belong to hydrogen. Neverthe- 

 less this atmosphere is not, as Lockyer and others have suj)posed, 

 composed exclusively of hydrogen. Secchi has observed the third 

 ray of magnesium, and the yellow line near D is not believed 

 to be a ray of hydrogen. Rayet himself, in an article published 

 in the "Comptes Rendus-' of the 8th of last February, discussed this 

 yellow ray. 



The observations made during the eclipse of the 18th of 

 August last have shown, moreover, that the protuberances or 

 elevated masses of the chromosphere do not always have the 

 same chemical composition. — Comptes Rendus^ June 7, 18G9, 

 p. 1821. 



The Spectrum of Lightning. — Lieut. John Herschel has commu- 

 nicated to the Royal Society an account of the spectrum produced 

 by lightning. He says : " The principal features are a more or less 

 bright continuous spectrum, crossed by numerous bright lines, — 

 so numerous as to perplex one as to their identity." 



