﻿10 
  F. 
  R. 
  JBigelow 
  — 
  Sola?* 
  Corona. 
  

  

  This 
  comparison 
  shows, 
  however, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  equatorial 
  

   extensions 
  which 
  are 
  interesting 
  in 
  this 
  connection, 
  but 
  chiefly 
  

   the 
  individual 
  stream 
  lines 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  subjected 
  to 
  measures. 
  

  

  Up 
  to 
  this 
  point 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  dealing 
  in 
  speculations, 
  

   but 
  in 
  legitimate 
  scientific 
  data 
  and 
  their 
  results. 
  There 
  are, 
  

   however, 
  two 
  probable 
  conclusions 
  so 
  apparent 
  that 
  I 
  will 
  not 
  

   abstain 
  from 
  mentioning 
  them. 
  

  

  If 
  we 
  regard 
  these 
  coronal 
  streamers 
  as 
  the 
  paths 
  along 
  

   which 
  the 
  sun 
  is 
  throwing 
  off 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  its 
  energy, 
  and 
  

   consequently 
  along 
  which 
  its 
  material 
  substances 
  are 
  being 
  

   transported, 
  whatever 
  may 
  be 
  their 
  physical 
  conditions, 
  we 
  

   have 
  only 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  near 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  these 
  extremes 
  

   these 
  conditions 
  change 
  by 
  loss 
  of 
  energy, 
  cooling, 
  condensa- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  so 
  on, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  repulsive 
  power 
  is 
  lost 
  and 
  the 
  

   gravitation 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  sets 
  in 
  to 
  take 
  its 
  place. 
  What 
  .becomes 
  

   of 
  this 
  material 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  ejected 
  from 
  high 
  latitudes 
  at 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  into 
  high 
  altitudes 
  above 
  the 
  equatorial 
  

   belts 
  ? 
  Obviously 
  it 
  must 
  descend 
  again; 
  the 
  heavier 
  or 
  denser 
  

   vertically, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  model 
  shows, 
  this 
  will 
  fall 
  directly 
  over 
  

   the 
  sun-spot 
  regions 
  ; 
  the 
  lighter 
  or 
  more 
  finely 
  subdivided 
  in 
  

   the 
  ceaseless 
  nebulous 
  equatorial 
  rain, 
  which 
  by 
  its 
  increase 
  of 
  

   angular 
  velocity 
  accelerates 
  the 
  mean 
  daily 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  itself, 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  its 
  impact 
  with 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  

   great 
  solar 
  whipping 
  top. 
  Much 
  more 
  might 
  be 
  said 
  to 
  illus- 
  

   trate 
  these 
  statements, 
  and 
  yet 
  but 
  little 
  can 
  be 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  

   model 
  itself 
  in 
  enforcing 
  this 
  conclusion, 
  There 
  is 
  some 
  evi- 
  

   dence 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  table 
  of 
  the 
  angle 
  # 
  , 
  giving 
  the 
  polar 
  dis- 
  

   tances 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  streamers 
  for 
  the 
  three 
  eclipses, 
  that 
  

   the 
  coronal 
  belt 
  has 
  a 
  motion 
  in 
  latitude 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   sun, 
  those 
  of 
  1889 
  being 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  degree 
  nearer 
  the 
  poles 
  

   than 
  that 
  of 
  1878. 
  This 
  movement 
  in 
  latitude 
  is 
  illustrated 
  by 
  

   the 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  maximum 
  zones 
  of 
  the 
  terrestrial 
  aurora 
  in 
  

   latitude, 
  and 
  might 
  be 
  expected 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  periodic 
  nature 
  

   of 
  the 
  activity 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  11-year 
  period. 
  This 
  

   fact 
  would 
  point 
  to 
  a 
  more 
  considerable 
  motion 
  in 
  latitude 
  of 
  

   the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  streamers, 
  by 
  reason 
  of 
  the 
  curvatures, 
  and 
  

   hence 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  spots 
  themselves, 
  in 
  case 
  they 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  

   material 
  coming 
  from 
  such 
  a 
  source. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  unlikely 
  that 
  we 
  shall 
  sometime 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  pene- 
  

   trate 
  yet 
  deeper 
  into 
  the 
  mysterious 
  nature 
  that 
  is 
  implied 
  in 
  

   this 
  most 
  wonderful 
  mechanism 
  of 
  the 
  sun. 
  We 
  may 
  well 
  

   believe 
  that 
  it 
  expresses 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  history 
  

   through 
  which 
  all 
  celestial 
  bodies 
  have 
  to 
  pass, 
  in 
  the 
  process 
  

   of 
  construction 
  and 
  cooling. 
  The 
  aurora 
  is 
  an 
  indication 
  of 
  

   this 
  system 
  on 
  the 
  earth, 
  the 
  residual 
  being 
  the 
  permanent 
  

   terrestrial 
  magnetism. 
  Now 
  that 
  we 
  see 
  more 
  clearly 
  the 
  ele- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  the 
  problem, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  easy 
  to 
  construct 
  a 
  rigorous 
  

  

  