At the last total eclipse of the sun, many astronomers busied themselves
chiefly with observing the corona which had excited so much interest and
speculation at previous eclipses. This is the name given to the bright
light seen outside of the moon's disk when the body of the sun is
completely hidden by it.
Opinions were divided as to its cause; some observers thinking it
proceeded from the sun's atmosphere, or from luminous gases which shot
far above its surface; while others imagined it separated from the sun
altogether, and due to other causes in the depths of space.
From the observations made, and from photographs taken, it is now
believed to be simply the reflected light of the sun. This reflection is
supposed to be due to immense numbers of meteorites, or possibly,
systems of meteorites, like the rings of Saturn, revolving about the
sun. The existence of such meteorites has long been suspected, and
observations now seem to justify a belief in their existence. Their
constant falling into the sun is thought to be one of the methods by
which its heat is maintained without loss.
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