the vicinity of
sun-spots, and, besides hydrogen, contain the vapours of various metals.
They are of different forms, and present the appearance of filaments,
spikes, and jets of liquid fire; others are pyramidal, convoluted, and
parabolic.

These outbursts, bending over like the jets from a fountain, and
descending in graceful curves of flame, ascend from the surface of the
chromosphere with a velocity often exceeding 100 miles in a second, and
frequently reach an enormous height, but are of transient duration. They
are closely connected with sun-spots, and are evidence of the tremendous
forces that are in action on the surface of the Sun.

The CORONA is an aureole of light which is seen to surround the Sun
during a total eclipse. It is an impressive and beautiful phenomenon,
and is only visible when the Sun is concealed behind the dark body of
the Moon. Professor Young gives the following graphic description of the
corona: 'From behind it [the Moon] stream out on all sides radiant
filaments, beams, and sheets of pearly light, which reach to a distance
sometimes of several degrees from the solar surface, forming an
irregular stellate halo, with the black globe of the Moon in its
apparent centre. The portion nearest the Sun is of dazzling brightness,
but still less brilliant than the prominences, which blaze through it
like carbuncles. Generally this inner corona has a pretty uniform
height, forming a ring three or four minutes of arc in width, separated
by a somewhat definite outline from the outer corona, which reaches to a
much greater distance and is far more irregular in form. Usually there
are several "rifts," as they have been called, like narrow beams of
darkness, extending from the very edge of the Sun to the outer night,
and much resembling the cloud shadows which radiate from the Sun before
a thundershower. But the edges of these rifts are frequently curved,
showing them to be something else than real shadows. Sometimes there are
narrow bright streamers as long as the rifts, or longer. These are often
inclined, or occasionally even nearly tangential to the solar surface,
and frequently are curved. On the whole, the corona is usually less
extensive and brilliant over the solar poles, and there is a
recognisable tendency to accumulation above the middle latitudes, or
spot zones; so that, speaking roughly, the corona shows a disposition to
assume the form of a quadrilateral or four-rayed star, though in almost