£4 Dr. Herschel o/t J/j* Nature and Construction 
its natural globular state. Hence I conclude that there could 
be no deception in those appearances. 
How very ill would this observation agree with the ideas of 
solid bodies bobbing up and down in a fiery liquid ? with the 
smoke of volcanoes, or scum upon an ocean ? And how easily 
it is explained upon our foregoing theory. The removal of the 
shining atmosphere, which permits us to see the sun, must na- 
turally be attended with a gradual diminution on its borders ; 
an instance of a similar kind we have daily before us, when 
through the opening of a cloud we see the sky, which gene- 
rally is attended by a surrounding haziness of some short ex- 
tent ; and seldom transits, from a perfect clearness, at once to 
the greatest obscurity. 
Aug. 26, 1792. I examined the sun with several powers, 
from 90 to 5 00. It appears evidently that the black spots are 
the opaque ground, or body of the sun ; and that the luminous 
part is an atmosphere, which, being interrupted or broken, 
gives us a transient glimpse of the sun itself. My 7-feet re- 
flector, which is in high perfection, represents the spots, as it 
always used to do, much depressed below the surface of the 
luminous part. 
Sept. 2, 1792. I saw two spots in the sun with the naked 
eye. In the telescope I found they were clusters of spots, 
with many scattered ones besides. Every one of them was 
certainly below the surface of the luminous disc. 
Sept. 8, 1792. Having made a small speculum, merely 
brought to a perfect figure upon hones, without polish, I 
found, that by stifling a great part of the solar rays, my object 
speculum would bear a greater aperture ; and thus enabled me 
to see with more comfort, and less danger. The surface of 
