Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-05-15
DOMESTIC.
ORION THE MERCANTILE ADVERT
SFR1

SOL, the Sun, the most splendid of the
celestial elohes. difimses light and heat
through the whole planetary system Many
authors have written upoA his nature and
constitution. A catalogu. of thcs- helse-
graphs books, was published at Helms
tadt, in Germany. during 1858, by Nicho.
las Frobestus but in l76S. Mich. Chr.
Hanovius, attempted in formal d;sssr a
tiGr, to demonstrate that the sun WAS not
body of FIRE.
Astronomers on this grand luminary
are satisfied that ne is not equally radi
ent in every part. fiis surfbc- is occasi-
| onaily beset with spots or clouds, Of which
the famous professor, w, id.er, Of Wr-
tcmbu-g, his exhibited AN bile .ua,rarv.
The usual fcts and appearances OF solar
maculr, are these, to wit:
l. y, c ,sion:lly on the disk of the sun
| are seen black'sh spaces, OF round, Oval,
or irregular figure. They often have a
dark nucleus, whose circumference is TIM
ged with red and blue colour. They are
, called maculr or spots.
2. Frequently, as the French Astronc..
mers remarked, during the seve, teeut,
century, there were none to be seen for
| days. months & even years in succ ssh m.
Picard. Hev> Illus, and Marian. stingus =
ed themselves by the ASST uity with Wi h
they pursued their investigation upon this
subject.
3. The number visible at a time in the
sun. varies for sometimes there is but a
single one; and then again, tn, twenty,
thirty, or more, have been distinguished.
ocheiner discovered Oh certain occasion,
fifty spots in sight at time on the Suns
disk.
4. Their apparent magnitude varies !;
they occupying, at different times. the
! hundred,h, fitch, thirtieth, twentieth,
and even greater portion Of the Suns
| diameter.
S. they usually make their appearance
first near the easternmost margin of the
sun, whence they pSss in a carved line to
the westermost edge. AMI dis 'rpear Near
the summer and winter splStices, their
| line of motion is straig l.
3. Near the eXtrrm ties of the DIS, they
/, NOV more slow towards the centre their
progress is faster.
Z. Seea> near the margin they seem
smaller while btheld iii the middle of tho
disk they look larger.
8. Sometimes single spot will divide
into several and then again several will
coslesce into one.
9. Yet spots have been observed, to
She themselves first, in the middle of the
Sun, and there gradually to vanish or 20
out of sight.
10. The mot on of the mascultc on the
hemisphere OF the Sun, which is turned to.
ward our planet, the earth, lasts abou,
fourteen days, and continues about rs long
on the opposite side. The period of their
revolution, according to Don Hamel, is 81
days or Whereabouts; some of them have
returned again and gain-others, howe
NV In ~ a
time, but melt away or are dissipated
while they are going round on the opposite
hemisphere. De la Cande calculates the
period of the Suns revolution on his own
axis, to be Is days and 10 hours.
IL. Spots which have been seen from
remote regions of the earth, have been re-
ferrcd to the same point of the SUMS disk.
From these facts it may fairly be inf. rred
that solar spots are opaque masses impe-
netrablc by the suns rays. Their position
between the sun and US withholds por-
ton of his light and during their contin-
uarCe the earth receives diminished
share of its radiance. His diminution of
solar influence must have an effect upon
our planet and its atmosphere, rendering
them both cooler than they otherwise
would have been. Oar spring has teer
exceedingly backward and chilly and is
nearly six weeks less forward than com
mon. DR.. Mitchell has shown, by seYe
raj collections of facts. from year to year,
the sensible operation that the vast M $50
Of ice working to the southwark, in the
Atlantic o can from Greenl nd, as far as
the latitude If IS deg. have upon the al.
mosphe;e and temperature of tie Lorthr-
eastern s. ction If Ameri a. This very
spring of 1916. as that gentleman observ.
ed, b'iags further confirmation Of the dos
tri.e. that the chiilness of Ap II, May and
June, may be owing. in great degree, to
thu pr senc OF sucn extensive fields and
stands of ice IN the Newfoundland station.
We now endure the double operation of 50.
lar spots and GrceulanS cold.
Spots il The Sun were observed in the
year 1911, by Fabrioius in East FIicsland,
5 heiner at Ingalstadt in Germany, and
GAli.co n Itaiy. They have since been
very diligently watched and des rbed by
later astronomers. Tboss which obscursd
the SIX of tue Sun in 1906. were carefully
watched by the Rev. David Wiley Of
Georgetown, ID. Co. and their descrip-
ton recorded n the 10th volume of the
New York Medical Repository, page 80,
and seq.
The method Of observing them in the
best manner, has been stated by Weider,
10 bis Hchascaflia emendafG et iiQsfrgfQ.
70 which the curious are referred.
REV. FRANCIS ASDURY.
The substance ola letter from the Rev. John
w. Bond, to the Rev. Bshcp hI'Kendree, living
apsrticuier accouat OF the death of the Rev rran,
ri ei.srv go. rs -.