IS THE SUN BLUE ?

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 4, 23 May 1890, Page 19

IS THE SUN BLUE ?

One of the shining lights of astronomical science has this to say in regard to the colour of the sun :—: — It may be ask-d, " What suggests the idea that the sun is blue 1 " My own attention was directed this way many years ago, when measuiing the heat and light from different parts cf the sun's disc. It is known that the snn has an atmosphere of its own which tempers its heat, and, by cutting off certain radiations and not others, produces the spectral lines with which we are so familiar. These lines we usually study in connection with the absorbing vapours of sodium, iron, etc , which produce them ; but my own attention was particularly given to tbe regions of absorption, or to the colour it caused.

In these investigations I found that the sun's body must be of a deep bluish colour, and that it would shed deep b!ue light, except for the solar atmosphere, which is usually spoken of as being colourless, but which rea ly plays tbe part of a reddish veil, letting a little of the blue appear on the centre <f the sun's disc, where it is the thinnest, and staining the edge red, so as to appear to a delicate test as being a pale aquamarine in the centre and a deep garnet around tbe edge. The effect I found lo be so important that, were this all but invisible solar atmosphere diminished only by a third part, the temperature of all temperate zon9s would rise higher than any torrid zone, a d make the greater part of tre world uninhabiiable.

These studies directed my attention to tbe great practical importance of studying the action of our own terrestial atmosphere on the sun, and the antecadent probability tnat our own air was also, and independently of having the effect of miking a really blue sunshine and sun appear as v*h ; te when it should appear of a cerulean hue.— St. Louis Republic.

Mr. Cobb.the sturdy Home Rue member for the Rugby division of Warwickshne, had Mr. Henry Mathews up again on Taursday (■>ays a London paper, March 25), to answer a question about some money the notorious forger, Richard Pigo't, recsivei from the excellent Mr. S ames of the Tunes. Mr. Gobb asked the Home Secretary, amidst Irish cheers, wtielfcer he would now give the respecive daies in August and September, 1888,Japon which the £10 note and the £5 note, which formed part of the remittance received from tbe la'e Richard Pigott by his housekeeper on the 23rd February, 1889, were drawn from the bank by Mr. Noaraes, and tLe number of such no e3 ; and whether he could ascertain and would state to whom Mr. Soames pail such notes, and on what date or da'es. Mr, Ma.hews replied that he had no better means than the hon. member of ascertaining on wh^t dates Mr. Soames drew money from his bankers or paid it to his witnesses ; and, therefore, he had not traced the notes m question. Mr. Cobb — Have tbe po'ice traced them ? Mr. Matthews — Not that lam aware of M r . Labjuchere — A.s the right hr>n. gentltmaa is responsible lo this House for ihe action of tbe police, will he ba good enough to make inquiries ? Mr. Mathews — That is not in the original question. Mr. Libouc here- Will the ri<*bt bon gentleman a'-k the p >lice whether in their investigations, tiey discovered when ihese notes were and to whom they were paid I—Mr.1 — Mr. Jesse Collmgs took it upon him to give a decided negative, whereat there was laughter 'oud and long. Mr. Cobb again asked his questions on Monday ; but the Home Secretary could only lamely say that the police had learned that the £10 remitted by Pigott to his housekeeper had been issued on Mr. Soarnes's cheque, but they had not ascertained when or to whom Mr. Soames paid the notes.