Chacornac' s Solar Theories. 15 



CHACORNAC'S SOLAR THEORIES.* 



In addition to the series of lithographed "bulletins" from 

 the observatory of Ville-TIrbanne, M. Chacornac has just 

 issued what appears to be the first part of an important essays 

 in which he arranges the facts which he has observed^ so as 

 to exhibit the theories he has formed. 



He states, that an examination of the sun with a good 

 telescope, even of small dimensions, enables the observer to 

 see that the shining surface is not smooth, like that of a sub- 

 stance in liquid fusion; but that it is made up of luminous 

 elements, matted together like meshes in a network composed 

 of a viscous material, and not analogous to anything existing 

 on the earth ; although to a certain extent the appearances 

 may be compared with threads of metal or melted glass, in a 

 sufficiently viscous condition to solder them close together, to 

 change their shape, and to enable them to disperse or assemble, 

 like snow- crystals, under the influence of atmospheric currents. 

 Conceiving the analogy between these solar phenomena and those 

 of crystallization to be very strong, M. Chacornac speaks of 

 " photospheric crystals," and defines the photosphere by say- 

 ing that " it is composed of innumerable photospheric crystals 

 united together." The shape of these crystals is not, as was 

 supposed, uniform; and, though more often threadlike, they 

 will be found to exhibit all the imaginable figures that a paste 

 in a state of violent fermentation might be expected to 

 offer, f 



According to the definition given, the solar photosphere is 

 not continuous, and behind (au travers des) the photospheric 

 crystals a dark background is seen, on which all the strata of 

 the envelope project themselves (un fond obscur sur lequel 

 se projettent toutes les formes des strates de cette enve- 

 lope) . 



Observation also shows that the vast agglomerations of 

 photospheric crystals move independently of the fundamental 

 stratum, as if the upper portions floated in an atmosphere, as 

 clouds do in the air. 



In the month of April, 1850, M. Chacornac states that he 

 discovered that the spots or cavities in the photosphere were 

 only formed by the dispersion of the photospheric crystals, 

 and by a partial swallowing up or engulphing of the photo- 



* "Notice sur la Constitution Physique du Soleil." Par M. Chacornac. 



■j* Mauy observers will not agree with M. Chacornac in coBsidering that the 

 photospheric bodies bear an analogy to crystals, and there is little resemblance 

 between forms produced in paste by violent fermentation and those which result 

 from crystallization. 



