Abstract
II. AT the conclusion of my last lecture I stated my belief that those changes which are continually going on at the surface of the sun had their origin in currents of convection, and I illustrated the processes which are there going on by what we know to be going on on the surface of our own earth, referred, but only historically, to a theory which was thrown out many years ago as to the origin of solar heat by Sir William Thomson, according to which it depended on the impact of meteoric bodies. I did not suppose at the time that he still retained that theory, regarding it as the most probable; in fact he gave it up many years ago, and I was glad to find, from conversation with him after the lecture, he is quite of the same opinion as I am, that these disturbances—the enormous disturbances which take place at the surface of the sun, have their origin in currents of convection. I stated my belief that the spots were produced by the downward rush of, comparatively speaking, cool portions of gas which had been in the first instance ejected during these eruptions. In speaking to Mr. Lockyer afterwards I found that he had obtained independent evidence from his spectroscopic researches that these spots consisted of down-rushes of gas, and not, as some have supposed, of up-rushes. He may have mentioned it to me before; if so I must apologise for it having passed from my memory. I will not however say anything about the evidence on which he was led to that conclusion, because he is going to lecture himself, and of course he will be the proper person to explain his own discoveries.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Solar Physics 1 . Nature 24, 613–618 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/024613a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/024613a0