Chemical Gazette 1846 Vol 4

Author : William Crookes
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9781330322215
Total Pages : 353 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (222 download)

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Download or read book The Chemical News, Vol. 4 written by William Crookes and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2015-06-16 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Chemical News, Vol. 4: And Journal of Physical Science: (With Which Is Incorporated the “Chemical Gazette”), A Journal of Practical Chemistry, in All Its Applications to Pharmacy, Arts, and Manufactures Probably few of our readers are ignorant that a most brilliant member of this erratic celestial family is now a conspicuous object in the northern, heavens. It first made its appearance on Sunday evening last, after sunset, when, as the clouds cleared away, it was suddenly discovered shining as bright as a star of the first magnitude, and almost rivalling the magnificent comet of 1858 in brilliancy and development of tail, whilst it far surpassed it in the diameter of nucleus. An opportunity which perhaps may never occur again is thus allowed for physicists to become acquainted with the intimate constitution of these mysterious visitors. On the occasion of the last appearance of so brilliant an object, in 1858, philosophers could do little more than examine it through their telescopes, and wonder, and speculate on its constitution. Since then, however, science has made rapid strides, and we are at the present time in possession of methods of analysis vastly more searching and powerful than any known previously. Chemists can now analyse, in the most rapid and accurate manner, almost everything which is visible to the human eye. It matters not whether the body possesses a tangible substance or not, whether it is close at hand in a test-tube or millions of miles away; if it only fulfils the one condition of emitting light, it is almost certain to reveal the secrets of its composition when submitted to the new development of spectrum analysis. The actual metallic constitution of the sun has already been shown by this means; that of the fixed stars is likewise being ascertained in the same manner, and we really hope that the present opportunity will not be allowed to pass without the beautiful method of spectrum analysis being applied to determine the elementary constitution of cometary bodies. The apparatus required would not be more than is already in the hands of many scientific men. A large telescope, equatorially mounted, would, from some experiments of our own upon this subject, seem to be necessary, in order to obtain sufficient light to illuminate the field of view. The spectrum apparatus being placed in proper adjustment, the luminous image only requires to fall on the slit and along the axis of the collimating tube for the fixed lines in the cometic spectrum to be instantly visible. A small and temporary arrangement, hurriedly fitted up, has been sufficient to satisfy us of the existence of fixed lines in the spectrum of the light emitted from the comet at present visible, but they were too faint to admit of identification. This experiment should at once be repeated with larger and more powerful apparatus. Many important questions would thus be finally settled. If the comet shone merely by reflected light from the sun, the ordinary solar fixed lines would be the only ones visible. If, however, as is most probable, some of its splendour is due to native light, the spectrum would as readily reveal whether the nucleus or the tail were in the solid or vaporous state; if the former, it would give a continuous spectrum, whilst if it were a vapour, the spectrum would be disconnected, and the new lines in it would at once disclose the elementally bodies to which they were due. It is, however, impossible to foresee all the valuable information on the obscure subject of stellar chemistry which could in this manner be obtained. We trust that, having pointed out this most promising field of observation, the rich harvest of facts with which science can thereby be enriched will not be allowed to escape for want of able observers. The natural antagonism of fire and water is so deeply rooted a matter of popular belief that were it not for the striking illustration to the contrary exhibited...