The Interior of a Star

Abstract

The first “saucy look” into the fiery regions lying deep below the visible surface of the sun and stars is contained in a paper published by Homer Lane in 1870 “On the Theoretical Temperature of the Sun’’. His theory was further developed by A. Ritter, Lord Kelvin, and others; in particular the masterly work of R. Emden in his book Gas- kugeln has been invaluable as a basis of recent advances. Progress in thermodynamics and atomic physics has led to modifications of the original theory and to further opportunities of advance, so that we now appear to have reached a stage at which the study of the deep- lying conditions enables us to predict to some extent the surface features accessible to observation, and we may appeal to experiment to declare that our professed knowledge of the interior is something more than “base authority from others’ books”.

The heaven’s glorious sun That will not be deep-searched with saucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won” Save base authority from others’ books.

Shakespeare, “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”