THE SUN’S HEAT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2845, 8 May 1882, Page 2

THE SUN’S HEAT.

[to the editor.] Sir, —When I sent you my article on heat, for publication, it was with the. hope that it would open a fresh discussion on a subject of infinite importance to everyone, being one of the most beautiful studies that can engross the human mind. Up to this time, however, two only have ventured into print. Tins is a matter of regret to me, and I daresay to others also. To keep the field open I will review the sun as given by H.W.H. : I at once admit his description of the sun as seen through the spectroscope to be perfectly correct, with all the chemical details as ho has described them. He has left out, however, what would be more to the point, viz, the electric light. Science gives the electric light the same properties as the sun, as seen through the most powerful glasses, whether reflecting or direct, the same colors with the same mixtures of metals, &c., &c. This being so, the conclusion we must arrive at is that their constitution is the same, and that in both cases motion is the cause of light. Tho electric light is to well understood that it is needless to describe it here. Many, however, may not know that its weak point, commercially, is its being devoid of heating power. Being satisfied that the Solar light and the Electric light are as far as science at its present stage can place them, of the same composition, and being also satisfied that tho electric light has no heating power, how are wo to look for the direct rays of-the Sun to pass through ninety millions of miles of space of intense cold and bring us the heat which we find on the Earth’s surface?

H.W.H. gives us the case of glass where he says the solar heat does not heat the window-glass through which it passes. Evidently, then he says the sun’s direct heat passes the transparent ether of space without heating it. Now this is not quite correct, I have experienced glass from the solar rays far higher than blood-heat and much hotter than air outside the window, so that this is not a fair comparison. Would the direct heat from the .sun pass through a window covered with frost without melting it? ! We see this take place often, but wo have the evidence all on the other side, that' the- solar heat does not melt or soften the intense frost in space. Now the, point we differ on is what I have pointed out about the sun and the electric light being of like composition, and, knowing how the latter is produced, viz., by motion, I contend the solar light is also produced by the rotary motion of the sun on his axis, and what we do see of the sun, in plain language is an immense: electric light sending its light through space to this and_ other planets of our system ; and it Is only when this light mixes with : our atmosphere at a given; focal distance from the earth’s surface, that heat is generated as we have it. Astronomers tell us the sun is an immense opaque body, and although they tell us the light we see on the sun’s surface is fire, they do not venture to assert that the opaque body is burning. They give us the different gases, their enormous extent, some of the flames rising thousands of miles in height, without committing themselves to say the opaque body of the sun is burning, and that it is from the direct heat of such a fire wo get our light and heat. . Nature, from what we know, teaches us.that our system has not reached its stage of decay which it would have done if the opaque body of the sun was on fire. Fire such as we see with the eye, if on any solid body such as we know the sun to be, v ould soon change its nature, and its vitality would soon come to an end.

Science tell iis the different stages which our earth has gone through; how the sea was formed, what gases formed this rock, and what the other; and, up to the present day, our earth’s crust is increasing, showing clearly that our planetary system is all life. This is testified to by the aerolites and meteorolites falling on the earth’s surface, coming new from creative matter floating in space. At what period of time our system will enter into the stage of decay cannot be told by man. But no doubts exist in my mind but that that stage will be reached ;as Nature never stands still but is continually progressing in one direction or another, Some astronomers venture even to say, life as we have it on the earth may exist on the opaque body of the sun, and that the bright burning gas flames we see are only the outer casing or atmosphere ; and however much they may guess the point, as ” does, the majority will come at last to the same conclusion that I have done long ago—viz., that there is no heat in the sun ; it is only light, and is sent to us through space by electric force, and, mixing with our atmosphere near the earth’s surface, generates the only heat that exists in our system. Of course what affects our earth must act on the other planets in something the same way, and give them heat also. •Yours, &c,, Amateuk.