In others, the opaque
vapours would reflect the light of the sun without permitting his view
to penetrate to the surface of our globe." Thus, if the atmosphere of
our earth, which in its relation to the "atmosphere" (?) of the sun is
like the tenderest skin of a fruit compared with the thickest husk of a
cocoa-nut, would prevent the eye of an observer standing on the moon
from penetrating everywhere "to the surface of our globe," how can an
astronomer ever expect his sight to penetrate to the sun's surface, from
our earth and at a distance of from 85 to 95 million miles,* whereas,
the moon, we are told, is only about 238,000 miles!
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* Verily, "absolute accuracy in the solution of this problem (of
distances between the heavenly bodies and the earth) is simply out of
the question."
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The proportionately larger size of the sun does not bring it any the
more within the scope of our physical vision. Truly remarks Sir W.
Herschel that the sun "has been called a globe of fire, perhaps
metaphorically!" It has been supposed that the dark spots were solid
bodies revolving near the sun's surface.
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