THE SUN ANT) SOLAR PHENOMENA. 303 
by tlie rays of the sun. Scrutinizing this luminous surface 
with high powers, we further perceive that the light is not 
uniform, but that it is covered with bright points, giving it a 
porous appearance, which has been aptly compared to the skin 
of an orange. At the last meeting of the Royal Astronomical 
Society, a photograph, taken by Mr. De la Rue, was exhibited, 
which represented this rough surface with the greatest accuracy, 
much more perfectly than could be possible in any engraving. 
Those bright specks very frequently attain to much greater 
dimensions, and are often visible, particularly at the margins of 
the sun, under the form of long serpentine and bright blisters, 
much more lustrous than the ordinary surface of the sun, how- 
ever bright that may be. All these are as changeable as the 
spots. These bright streaks (or fa culce ) are proved to be con- 
siderably elevated above the surface of the sun. Thus we 
find that if the sun exercises great influence on the surface of 
our globe, it must be acknowledged that its own atmosphere is 
equally disturbed, though the causes of those changes are 
less explicable. The spots and bright streaks are continually 
appearing and disappearing, varying in form and size, break- 
ing up or collapsing every hour. Sometimes they take the 
form of a whirlpool, and even seem to have a sort of spiral 
or rotatory motion. Any observer, with a fair telescope, is 
able to perceive all those phenomena ; and in no other sub- 
ject of practical astronomy is the aid of the amateur so useful 
in determining the positions and annual number of the spots. 
To another object constantly accompanying the sun, but best 
seen in our latitudes during the spring evenings or autumn 
mornings, the services of the amateur are very valuable. We 
allude to the cone of faint light seen after sunset or before sun- 
rise along the ecliptic, and which has hence obtained the 
cognomen of the zodiacal light. Humboldt has searched in 
vain for any allusion to it previous to that of Childrey, in 1661 ; 
but an admirer of Shakspeare might, perhaps, think that this 
phenomenon was described in the lines, — 
“ Yon light is not daylight, I know it, I : 
It is some meteor that the sun exhales ,” &c. 
in contradistinction to the breaking light of morn. The keen 
eye of M. Goldschmidt was able to detect, at the last appear- 
ance, a faint offshoot from this mysterious light, and which was 
observed on the same night at a different part of the world. 
To those endowed with sharp vision, the systematic observation 
of the direction and dimensions of this object would be a matter 
of much value. (See the accompanying engTaving of a large 
spot, and the fciculce visible in February.) 
One of the Elizabethan dramatists says, “ Better to bless 
