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Ill. On the Nature and ConftruGtion of the Sun and Fixed Stars. 
By Wiii1aM Herscuer, LL.D. L.R.S. 
[Concluded from Page 123. ] 
Jy will now be eafy to bring the refult of thefe obfervations 
into a very narrow compafs. That the fun has a very exten- 
five atmofphere cannot be doubted; and that this atmofphere 
confifts of various elaftic fluids, that are more or lefs Incid 
and tran{parent, and of which the lucid one is that which 
furnifhes us with light, feems allo to be fully eftablithed by 
all the phenomena of its fpots, of the facula, and of the 
lucid furface itfelf. There is no kind of variety in thefe ap- 
pearances but what may be accounted for with the greateft 
facility, from the continual agitation which, we may eafily 
conceive, muft take place in the regions of fuch extenfive 
elaftic fluids. 
It will be neceffary, however, to bea little more particular 
as to the manner in which I fuppofe the lucid fluid of the fun 
to be generated in its atmofphere. An analogy that may be, 
drawn from the generation of clouds in our own atmofphere, 
feems to be a very proper one, and full of inftruétion, Our 
clouds are probably decompofitions of fome of the elafiic 
fluids of the atmolphere itfelf, when fuch natural caufes, as 
in this grand chemical laboratory are generally at work, act 
upon them: we may therefore admit, that in the very exten- 
five atmofphere of the fun, from caufes of the fame nature, 
fimilar phenomena will take place; but with this difference, 
that the continual and very extenfive decompofitions of the 
elafiic fluids of the fun are of a phofphoric nature, and at- 
tended with lucid appearances, by giving out light. 
If it fhould be objected, that fuch violent and unremitting 
decompofitions would exhauft the fun, we may recur again 
to our analogy, which will furnith us with the following. re-" 
flections. The extent of our own atmofphere, we fee, is {till 
preferved, notwith{tanding the copious decompofitions of its 
fluids in elouds and falling rain; in flafhes of lightning, in 
meteors, and other Juminous phenomena; becaufe there are 
frefh fupptics of elaftic vapours continually afcending to make 
9 : good 
