SOLAR PROMINENCES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 995, 9 December 1910, Page 5

SOLAR PROMINENCES.

... . $._ AN INTERESTING THEORY. !' "~~~ ' By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyrteht.' Berlin, December 7. Professor Reiclienheim's spectra investigations at Charlottenburg, suggests that the solar prominences , are anode rays, streaming from the positively electrified nucleus of the sun as from an anode. The spectroscope has flayed a useful part.ill modern astronomy, and has been made_uso of to determine the character of- tho solar prominences; During a total eclipse red flames are seen at the sun s edge while' if is liidden by the moon. These prominences, 'as they are called, are generally regarded as part of a great sea of fire' from which flames are often burled to a height of 300,000 miles. _ As regards the anode rays mentioned m the cablegram, the following statement of Pellat may be helpful:— "Most ' of you are familiar with the beautiful phenomenon which is exhibited when we pass n charge of electricitythrough a Geissler tube, that is, a tube containing a gas so rarefied that its density is not more than the thousandth part of that of atmospheric air. You behold a bright glow of coloured light extending, almost without a break, from one end of the tube to the other. In order to produce an electric discharge in the tube we cause two bits of metal, which we call electrodes, to pass through the: glass at each end of the tube. These electrodes are brought into contact with a source of electricity, one with the negative pole, forming what is called the cathode, the other with tho positive pole, known by the term anode. During tho discharge in the tube it is easy to distinguish tho anode from the cathode, for tho latter is surrounded with a violet light, while the extended rose-coloured column, which - occupies almost tho whole of the tube, seems to originate from the I anode." The cathode is the name given to the negative, or leading-out electrode of the tube. The positive, or leading-in electrode, is called the anode.