THE FUEL OF THE SUIT. 97 



ed visible by the spectroscopic dilution of the continuous spec- 

 trum of the denser photosphere, while the solid projectiles that 

 must proceed from them in every direction can only be seen 

 during a solar eclipse. 



The observations and drawings of Zollner and Respighi 

 were, for the most part, made while my book was in the 

 press, and, like those of Secchi above quoted, were unknown 

 to me when I wrote ; I was then only able to quote, in support 

 of my theoretical requirements, the evidences of actually 

 observed tangential ejection afforded by Sir John HerschePs 

 account of the great solar storm of September 1st, 1859. 



Besides this direct tangential projection there are other ele- 

 ments of motion contributing to the same result, such as the 

 whirling of the prominences on themselves, their motion of 

 translation on the sun's disk, and the rotation of the sun itself. 



I must now bring his sketch to a close by stating that, in 

 order to submit the fundamental question of a universal 

 atmosphere to an experimentum crucis analogous to that by 

 which Pascal tested the atmospheric theory of Torricelli, I have 

 calculated the theoretical density of the atmosphere of the 

 moon and of each of the planets, and compared the results as 

 severely as I could with the observed facts. As Jupiter is 

 27,100 times heavier than the moon, and between these wide 

 extremes there are six planets presenting great variations of 

 mass, the probabilities of accidental coincidence are over- 

 whelmingly against me, and a close concurrence of observed 

 telescopic refraction and other phenomena with the theoretical 

 atmospheric density must afford the strongest possible con- 

 firmation of the soundness of the basis of my whole argument. 

 Such a concurrence exists, and some new and very curious 

 light is unexpectedly thrown upon the meteorology of Mars 

 and the constitution of the larger planets. The latter, if I am 

 right, must be miniature suns, permanently red- or white-hot, 

 must have something like a photosphere,* surrounded by a 

 sphere of vapor (the outside of which we see), must have 

 mimic spot vortices and prominences, and in the case of 

 Saturn must eject volleys of meteoric matter, some of which 

 should finally settle down into orbital paths, and thus produce 

 the rings. 



These are startling conclusions, and when I reached them 

 they were utterly at variance with general astronomical opin- 

 ion, but I find since their publication that some astronomers 

 have already shown considerable readiness to adopt them. In 



