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too naive. For us it is impossible to see material eruptions in the 
bundles of the auroral rays which often shoot up as quick as light- 
ning. In all such sudden shiftings of light the molecules of our 
atmosphere remain comparatively at rest and probably it is only 
electrons or ions that move. 
But if our Polar Auroras are such movable electric configurations, 
which originate when bundles of 8 and y rays, sent out by the 
solar spots, come in contact with our atmosphere, then it is quite 
conceivable that analogous movable configurations will originate also 
in the solar atmosphere itself around the spots, if there these same 
bundles, just escaped from the spots and consequently much more 
powerful even than here, pass through the solar atmosphere. Thus 
the Protuberances of the sun and the rays of its Corona would have 
the same canse as the Polar Auroras of the earth and the “Solar 
Vortices” of Hate would be “Solar Aurorae”. In all these phenomena 
only ions would move, and, as I have already maintained these 20 
years *), the matter would remain at rest. 
For that identical origin of on the one side the Protuberances and 
the Corona of the sun and on the other side the Polar Auroras on 
the Earth, which identical origin | have already discussed in my 
last Essai *), pleads also the remarkable agreement, which Srassano 
1) As the fundamental principle of my theory of the sun I have aiways demon- 
strated the impossibility of the dogma of the solar eruptions. That demonstration 
will be found and will be seen to become more and more powerful in the following 
papers: Verklaring van de veranderlijkheid der roode sterren p. 9—11. (Mei 1888) — 
Essai d'une Théorie du Soleil et des étoiles rouges variables p. 20 (Dec. 1888) — 
Théorie du Soleil. Verhandelingen Kon. Akad. v. Wetensch. te Amsterdam [. No. 3. 
p. 1—80 (1892) — Astron. a. Astrophysics Dec. 1903, March !894 p. 218, Dec. 1894 
p. 849. — My last Essai of 1908 referred to above p. 1—31. Het 17de Jaar- 
verslag van het Technologisch Gezelschap te Delft, p. 87—124, Een theorie van 
de zon. 
2) Essai d'une Explication du Mécanisme de la périodicité etc. 1998 p. 20—23, 
84, 125. In this my last Essai I have shown on p. 21, that, if the solar spots 
throw out the bundles of ‘rays which I suppose, it is very clear why the same 
period of 11 years of the solar spots is also observed in the 3 following lumines- 
cence-pheromena; 1. in the protuberances and the corona of the sun, 2. in the 
Polar Auroras on the earth and 3. in the Comets. Thus it appeared in the inves- 
tigations of Bersericn that during the maximum period of the spots (so, when the 
Comets have the greatest chance of being brought to greater luminescence by the 
bundles of rays meant by me) the radiance of the Comet of Encke is greatest and 
that then also the discovery of very small Comets is most successful. (Astron. 
Nachr. n°’, 2836 and 2837). The sudden variations of light, which the Comets 
sometimes show and which now have been seen again so distinctly in the Comet 
of Morenouse, may also be explained perhaps by their temporary contact with the 
bundles of rays thrown out by the solar spots. On the same page 21! of my 
