Part 31 (1/2)

In reference to this subject, as well as to my researches into the structure of the sun's surface, I had the inesti the friendshi+p of that noble philosopher, Sir John Herschel

His visits to me, and my visits to him, have left in my memory the most cherished and happy recollections Of all the scientific , Sir John stands supree with perfect humility

He was simple, earnest, and companionable, He was entirely free fro, would listen attentively to the humblest student He was ready to counsel and instruct, as well as to receive inforh the various technical processes of casting, grinding, and polishi+ng specula for reflecting telescopes

That was a pleasure to him, and a vast treat tocareful investigations into the dark spots upon the Sun's surface These spots are of extraordinary dimensions, sometiht be dropped into theed over by a streak of light, formed of -leaf-shaped objects They were apparently possessed of voluntary motion, and moved from one side of the spot to the other

These flakes were evidently the iht and heat I wrote a paper on the subject, which I sent to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester

[footnote

Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, 3d series, vol i p 407 My first discovery of the ”Willow-leaf”

objects on the Sun's surface was limpses of them froht sun can be seen in a tranquil atmosphere free from vibrations, and when the delicate objects on its surface can be clearly defined It was not until the 5th of June 1864 that I obtained the finest sight of the Sun's spots and the Willow-leaf objects; it was then that Iof the has been produced Indeed I never had a better sight of this extraordinary aspect of the Sun than on that day

The results of my observations were of so novel a character that astronomers for some time hesitated to accept them as facts

Yet Sir John Herschel, the chief of astronomers, declared thee] Group of sun spots as seen by James Nasmyth, 5th June 1864

I received a letter frowood, 2lst of May 1861, in which he said:

”I aht of your drawings, which Mr Maclaren was so kind as to bring over here the other day I suppose there can be no doubt as to the reality of the -leaved flakes, and in that case they certainly are the most marvellous phenomena that have yet turned up--had almost said in all Nature--certainly in all Astronoe phosphorised fishes? If so, what neous snow-flakes?

floating in a fluid of their own, or very nearly their own, specific gravity? Some kind of solidity or coherence they must have, or they would not retain their shape in the violent e of the spots indicate

”I observe that in the bridges all their axes have an approximate parallelis fro rise to that striated appearance which is falad that you have pitched your tent in this part of the world, and I only wish it were a little nearer You will anyhow have the advantage at Penshurst of a much clearer atmosphere than in the north; but here, nearer the coast, I think we are still better off

”Mr Maclaren holds out the prospect of ouryou at Pachley at no distant period, and I hope you will find your way ere long to Collingwood I have no instruments or astronomical apparatus to show you, but a re to put on (rather late) its gala dress of spring?'

Sir John afterwards requested my permission to insert in his Outlines of Astronomy, of which a new edition was about to appear, a representation of ”the -leaved structure of the Sun's surface,”

--which had been published in the Manchester transactions,--to which I gladly gave my assent Sir John thus expresses himself on the subject: --”The curious appearance of the 'pores' of the Sun's surface has lately received a ular and unexpected interpretation from the remarkable discovery of Mr J Nasmyth, who, fro telescope of his own construction under very highpowers, and under exceptional circumstances of tranquillity and definition, has coonal interstices between certain lueneral uniformity of size, whose form (at least as seen in projection in the central portions of the disc) is that of the oblong leaves of atree These cover the whole disc of the Sun (except in the space occupied by spots) in countless inable direction Thisrevelation has been confirmed to a certain considerable extent, and with some modifications as to the form of the objects, their exact uniforure, by Messrs De la Rue, Pritchard and Stone in England, and M Secchi in Rome”

On the 25th of February 1864, I received a communication from Mr E J Stone, first assistant at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich

The Astronomer-Royal, he said, ”has placed in my hands your letter of February 20 Your discovery of the ' leaves' on the Solar photosphere having been brought forward at one of the late s of the Royal Astronomical Society, my attention was attracted to the subject At my request, the Astrono eye-piece for our great equatorial The eye-piece was coood opportunity I turned the telescope on the Sun

”I may state that my impression was, and it appears to have been the impression of several of the assistants here, that theleaves stand out dark against the lu at the Sun, I was at once struck with the apparent resolvability of its mottled appearance The whole disc of the Sun, so far as I exaht rice-like particles, and theof these particles

”I could not observe any particular arrangement of the particles, but they appeared to be more numerous in some parts than in others

I have used the word 'rice-like' h impression of their form I have seen them on two occasions since, but not so well as on the first day, when the definition was exceedingly good

”on the first day that I saw them I called Mr Dunkin's attention to them He appears to have seen them He says, however, that he should not have noticed them if his attention had not been called to them”

The Astronomer Royal, in his report to the Admiralty on my discovery, said: