THE ECLIPSE OF 1870. 57 



attracted the attention of all who witnessed the eclipse. 

 Then in the succeeding pictures we see the moon's 

 disc gradually passing over this wonderful horn and 

 the prominences lying on the same side ; while on the 

 opposite side we see a long range of prominences 

 coming as gradually into view. None of these are 

 comparable in height with the mighty spiral on the 

 left, though some of them are amazing objects, and of 

 dimensions so vast that a globe like our earth placed 

 close, by them would seem but as the veriest bubble 

 amid the foam of a storm-wave. In the last picture of 

 all, these prominences on the right show their full 

 proportions as the advancing moon is about to bring 

 the disc of the sun into view on that side. But though 

 the moon has passed thus far towards the left, and 

 though, indeed, all other prominences on the left are 

 concealed from view, yet on that side the spiral horn 

 still towers so loftily as to form the most striking 

 feature of the scene. 



But interesting as are these pictures, and forming 

 though they do, despite the success of the American 

 astronomers in August 1869, the most remarkable 

 series of photographs ever taken of the eclipsed sun, 

 the chief interest of the eclipse of 1868 depends on 

 another circumstance. This eclipse was the first 

 during which the powers of the spectroscope had been 

 applied to determine the nature of the coloured 

 prominences ; and astronomers looked forward to the 

 result with a degree of interest which was fully justified 

 by the discovery actually effected. 



