382 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE CHAP. 



tains. The true nature of these streaks is not 

 yet understood. 



THE SUN 



The Sun is more than 400 times as distant 

 as the Moon ; a mighty glowing globe, in- 

 finitely hotter than any earthly fiery furnace, 

 300,000 times as heavy, and 1,000,000 times 

 as large as the earth. Its diameter is 865,000 

 miles, and it revolves on its axis in between 

 25 and 26 days. Its distance is 92,500,000 

 miles. And yet it is only a star, and by no 

 means one of the first magnitude. 



The surface of the Sun is the seat of vio- 

 lent storms and tempests. From it gigantic 

 flames, consisting mainly of hydrogen, flicker 

 and leap. Professor Young describes one as 

 being, when first observed, 40,000 miles high. 

 Suddenly it became very brilliant, and in 

 half an hour sprang up 40,000 more. For 

 another hour it soared higher and higher, 

 reaching finally an elevation of no less than 

 350,000 miles, after which it slowly faded 

 away, and in a couple of hours had entirely 

 disappeared. This was no doubt an excep- 



