WHAT ARE THESE SPOTS? 
IIS 
WHAT ARE THESE SPOTS? 
This is an interesting question, and has been 
variously answered. 
Are the spots planets revolving about the sun in 
small orbits? Some have thought this. But if so, 
they would make regular revolutions and retain the 
same shape. Neither is the case. 
Are they more or less condensed fragments of 
gaseous rings that were once thrown off by the sun, 
Fig. 87.—Sun-spot shown at western limb as a notch. 
similar to those of Saturn at the present time, or are 
they gaseous clouds floating in the atmosphere of the 
sun ? In either case the spots would show the lighter 
side toward us as they appear around the eastern 
