12 THE SUN. [Lesson in. 



held on the subject; but it does not appear to have 

 been considered with much attention until very 

 lately. The discoveries and observations of Dr. 

 fierschel, have in a great measure supplied the de- 

 fect, and afforded ample materials for forming a 

 rational and plausible theory to explain and eluci- 

 date the appearances we are now treating upon. 



This ingenious astronomer has assigned very 

 forcible reasons for concluding, that the opinion 

 commonly received, that the sun is a body of real 

 fire, is futile and erroneous. He susposes, on the 

 contrary, that it is an opaque body, surrounded by 

 an atmosphere of a phosphoric nature, composed 

 of various transparent and elastic fluids, by the 

 decomposition of which, light is produced, and lu- 

 cid appearances formed of different degrees and 

 intensity. The doctor even goes so far as to assert, 

 with much probability, that the suri is in reality an 

 inhabitable world; but this assertion has no con- 

 nection with our present inquiry, which we must 

 confine, for the present, to maculae and faculae. 

 Admitting, therefore, the precexling remarks, we 

 will endeavour to deduce from them a satisfactory 

 hypothesis to account for these appearances. The 

 sun, it has been said, is an opaque body, surrounded 

 by a lucid atmosphere : you will easily conceive, 

 then, that maeulse are those parts of his surface 

 which happen to be free from luminous decompo- 

 sitions, or, in other words, which are but slightlyj 

 if at all, covered by the shining matter, and are 

 for that reason exposed to our view. In most cases 

 the real body of the sun is supposed to be visible 



through 



