Celestial Chemistry. 393 



were found. Some bands of lines, corresponding to the lines 

 produced by our atmosphere, were stronger in the spectrum 

 of Jupiter than in that of the sky, while others were fainter. 

 In the former case, it would seem that the constituents of 

 Jupiter's atmosphere exerted an absorbing effect on the light ; 

 and in the latter, the light of the sun passing through the 

 lower and denser part of our atmosphere was more strongly 

 affected by it than by the atmosphere of Jupiter. The same 

 thing, under similar circumstances, had been observed in the 

 case of the moon. That a strong line in the red was due 

 entirely to Jupiter's atmosphere, was shown by examining the 

 moon and Jupiter when near together ; the result being, that 

 while the planet possessed the line, the moon did not, whereas 

 had it arisen from oar atmosphere, it must have been common 

 to both. The comparison of the lines of Jupiter with those of 

 our atmosphere tend strongly to the supposition that some of 

 the gases composing the planet's atmosphere are the same as 

 those which constitute our own. The spectrum of Saturn gave 

 almost the same indications, but the observations were more 

 difficult from want of light. In Mars, some lines in the ex- 

 treme red were seen, and the spectrum diminished suddenly 

 in brilliancy at F, from the occurrence of numerous bands, 

 which absorbing the more refrangible rays, evidently cause 

 the predominance of the red tint in the light of this planet. 



With regard to Venus, although, as might be expected, 

 the spectrum was of great beauty, and the principal solar lines 

 well shown, D being even seen double, no specific atmospheric 

 lines could be traced. 



The analysis by the prism of the light of the planets, while 

 it largely confirms the astronomical doctrine of their possessing 

 extensive atmospheres, may, perhaps, be thought less conclusive 

 than might have been expected; but, on the other hand, it 

 should be remembered that, with the exception of Mars, teles- 

 copic observation shows that we are looking not directly at 

 the bodies of the planets, but at masses of cloud suspended in 

 their atmospheres, and reflecting the sun's light to us, and 

 therefore such light has passed through but a very small and 

 rarified portion of such atmospheres, instead of through the 

 lower and denser portions, which we know, in the case of our 

 own aerial covering, to be the principal source of the specific 

 atmospheric lines. 



THE IIXED STAES. 



Striking as are the results obtained by spectrum analysis 

 when applied to the sun, moon, and planets, they sink into 

 insignificance when compared with the revelations afforded us 



