78 <A. Clark on the Sun and Stars photometrically compared. 
Again; the image of = highly illuminated atmosphere, for 
some degrees about the sun, is admitted with the sun’s direct 
light, through the little lens, to the dark chamber ; and the light, 
thus augmented, is observed in contrast with a darkness greater 
than that of a clear nocturnal sky. e entire loss by reflecting 
and absorbing is manifestly so small, and the light of the sky in 
the immediate vicinity of the sun, so great that I can readily 
believe the waste, in effect, is fully m made up; especially when 
considering the absolute blackness of the ground, upon which — 
the light, in the dark chamber, is projected; and I can find 20 ~ 
reason to doubt that the sun would appear as a star of thesixth — 
magnitude, or be only just visible to the unassisted human eye, — 
even setting aside the idea of an extinguishing medium, if re 
moved 1, 200, 000 times his present distance; and at 100,000 times 
y 
laws of patepactive, the small ones would be lost to our ties at 
distances from bis the brighter individuals would appear as 
conspicuous objects 
Such would be the case bby telescopic magnitudes, as well as 
with those visible to the n 
The number of stars visible, by aid of the more powerful 
escopes, is far less, in proportion to the power of the instruments, 
than those visible to the unassisted eye, or with smaller tel 
This. fact has given rise to the doctrine of an extinguish 
medium in space; which is accepted by the most able astron0 
mers as a8 es and has been the foundation of much ingen: 
ious reason 
Pletsible : = robable, as this appears, I see no difficulty 1 in 
understanding that an exceedingly great diversity in the intrin- 
sic wie ee of the stellar orbs, promiscuously scattered through 
ees might result in the same appearances as those on which 
doctrine i is founded. For, at me s eae 
- porte but in me faba ome the remotest reach of th 
: ‘te b the ——— a ight be th 
