Eruptions, like our volcanic eruptions, but on an incomparably larger scale, are of frequent occurrence on the sun. They are seen as protuberances visible during a total eclipse of the sun, in the form of vaporous masses on the edge of the solar disc and emitting a faint light. These protuberances of the sun are now observed at all times by means of the spectroscope (Lockyer's method), because they contain luminous vapours (giving bright lines) of hydrogen and other elements.
The great interest and vastness of astro-physical observations concerning the sun, comets, stars, nebulæ, &c., render this new province of natural science very important, and necessitate referring the reader to special works on the subject. The most important astro-physical data since the time of Kellner are those referring to the displacement of the lines of the spectrum. Just as a musical note changes its pitch with the approach or withdrawal of the resonant object or the ear, so the pitch of the luminous note or wave-length of the light varies if the luminous (or absorbent) vapour and the earth from which we observe it approach or recede from each other; this expresses itself in a visible displacement of the spectral lines. The solar eruptions even give broken lines in the spectrum, because the rapidly moving eruptive masses of vapour and gases either travel in the direction of the eye or fall back towards the sun. As the earth travels with the solar system among the stars, so it is possible to determine the direction and velocity with which the sun travels in space by the displacement of the spectral lines and light of the stars. The changes proceeding on the sun in its mass, which must be pronounced as vaporous, and in its atmosphere, are now studied by means of the spectroscope.
For this purpose, many special astro-physical observatories now exist where these investigations are carried on. We may remark that if the observer or luminous object moves with a velocity ±v, the ray, whose wave-length is λ, has an apparent wave-length λ n±v / n , where n is the velocity of light. Thus Tolon, Huyghens, and others proved that the star Aldebaran approaches the solar system with a velocity of 30 kilometres per second, while Arcturus is receding with a velocity of 45 kilometres. The majority of stars give a distinct hydrogen spectrum, besides which nebulæ also give the spectrum of nitrogen. Lockyer classes the stars from their spectra, according to their period of formation, showing that some stars are in a period of increasing temperature (of formation or aggregation), whilst others are in a period of cooling. Altogether, in the astro-physical investigation of the spectra of heavenly bodies we find one of the most interesting subjects of recent science.
Spectrum analysis has proved the indubitable existence in the sun and stars of a number of elements known in chemistry. Huyghens, Secchi, Lockyer, and others have furnished a large amount of material upon this subject. A compilation of existing information on it has been given by Prof. S. A. Kleiber, in the Journal of the Russian Physico-chemical Society for 1885 (vol. xviii. p. 146). Besides which, a peculiar element called helium has been discovered, which is characterised by a line (whose wave-length is 587·5, situated near D), which is seen very brightly in the projections (protuberances) and spots of the sun, but which does not belong to any known element, and is not reproducible as a reversed, dark line. This may be a right conclusion—that is to say, it is possible that an element may be discovered to which the spectrum of helium corresponds—but it may be that the helium line belongs to one of the known elements, because spectra vary in the brilliancy and position of their lines with changes of temperature and pressure. Thus, for instance, Lockyer could only see the line 423, at the very end of the calcium spectrum, at comparatively low temperatures, whilst the lines 397 and 393 appear at a higher temperature, and at a still higher temperature the line 423 becomes quite invisible.