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HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.

that previous to the reappearance of the sun, he perceived first one lu-minous point, then a second, and soon afterwards a third, all visible in theregion where the sun was about to emerge.

M. Valz thus describes the appearance presented at Marseilles duringthe totality of the eclipse. “ Forty seconds previous to the end of thetotal obscuration, I perceived near the part of the moon’s limb where Iexpected the sun to reappear, two points near each other of very greatbrilliancy, more brilliant even than stars of the first magnitude. Theirlight was white like that of the sun. There was seen issuing from each ofthese points a train of light resembling that which is perceived in a darkroom, into which the solar light penetrates through an aperture, but onlymore divergent; and coinciding in direction with the rays issuing from theluminous ring. . . . Fifteen seconds afterwards, a third brilliant

point appeared, more to the north, accompanied also with a divergingtrain of light, and contributing to form a portion of the radial glory of thering.” M. Valz, who supposed that the luminous points perceived by himwere situate a little within the margin of the lunar disk, was under the im-pression that they were occasioned by the sun shining through deepvalleys on the moon’s surface, which in each instance appeared to beclosed at the top, by the projection of one of the sloping sides of the valleyupon the opposite side. Fie states, that according to the relative move-ment of the sun and moon, the first luminous points were situate about20" within the moon’s border.

At Yisan, which was situate close to the northern limit of the lunarshadow, M. Guerin perceived, immediately after the total obscuration,seven or eight very distinct indentations, which might have been taken forso many stars of different magnitudes. They were redder but less bril-liant than Mars. If the whole periphery of the lunar disk had been bor-dered with similar luminous points, it would have presented the appear-ance of a box of ebony garnished with rubies.

At Digne, M. Eugene Bouvard perceived two brushes of light at thelower part of the moon’s limb. They were formed of rays of a beautifulred mingled with some rays of orange colour. They gradually becamebroader and fainter as they receded from the moon’s limb*.

The accounts respecting the appearance presented by the luminous pro-tuberances in Italy, do not differ materially from those of the French observers. Mr. Airy remarked, that in form they somewhat resembledsaw teeth in the position proper for a circular saw, inclined in the samedirection as that in which the hands of a watch turn. Their height was atleast equal to a fourth of the breadth of the ring, or l'f.

According to Mr. Baily, the luminous protuberances had the appear-ance of mountains of a prodigious elevation. Their colour was red, tingedwith lilac or purple. “ Perhaps,” says he, “the colour of the peach blossomwould more nearly represent their aspect.” They somewhat resem-bled the snowy tops of the Alpine mountains when coloured by therising or setting sun. Their light was perfectly steady, having nothingof the flickering appearance observable in the corona. The most con-siderable was bifurcated down to its base, insomuch that one might havesaid, there were two protuberances, the one being projected upon theother J.

* Annuaire, 1846, p. 420.

j- Mem. Ast. Soc., vol. xv., p. 16. f lb., p. 6.