New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-17

sr1fs...IAe atulos Jhole Inquiry aad sPerl-
lation c5uc-rDiux The cause Of the sp1s...S -is5s
smiituds with terrestrial atmospheric connexions "
st0Ius.. Probable existence II other changes the
Sso.... Conclusi0n " the Coufss.
LADIES AND GESTLEMEs. On the last evening,
I opened t. YOU 10 the cors1ry manner which alone
IS 10 accordance with course 80 brei as this, the
question Of the peculiar constitution Of the several
planets which, with the Earth. roll round the sun
In the course of that lecture We looked especially
at the Moon. and think saw cause u modify
somewhat. the conclusion usually drawn by geO.0-
eists from the several modes Of its development IA
Earth expecting the ultimate character Of those
grand causes that have % universally uPheaved
the surface Of all these planets. The conclusion
v e would be disposed y draw from hrst sight Is
thatthis cause is central one but | think We
showed that this could not be the case.
Those changes however, 70 which i then ala
ded are merely few scenes 10 the history
Of the planets Now. what are these IN re-
lation 10 our whole system Incidents them
selves in the condensation Of the san. iust a.
their internal geological epochs are incidents
in the course Of their own, how utterly they
shryel and vanish from sight when we turn TO that
Orb himself whose hstOryin very truth the history
Of our system solely Is. | thiok ! stated on
previous evening the fact that the diameter OF the
Sun is so enormous when compared with the other
bodies in our system, that If the Sun be repre-
scented By globe two feet in diameter Jupiter
would be represented by ball no larger than an
orange. and our own + srth by speck only
The phenomena that first led 70 some knowledge
OF the constitution Of this vast Orb are those curl
Gus spots that appear aud disappear so frequently
on his surface, and which by their regular pro
eresson across his disc revealed to their first dis
coverer Calico the remarkable fact that the sun
rotates on his axis like the planets, carry ing the
spots along with him.
We find on examining the Sun with a good
Telescope, that rarely day occurs IN which ms
~.I ltF a sFgfa "a z
quently appear with great audiences, and disap.
pesr with exceeding rapldity. This was one OF
the earliest discoveries Of Calico On looking o;
them, he found they were not fixed upon the suns
surface but were continually changing their
places Now. on endeavOring to ascertain what
the cause of this change was, he discovered that
all the spots moved IN one direction, and also IN
definite curves He found that all these pheno
mena might be explained by the suppostion that
the Sun is an immense globe turning on ITS axis
He detected from this, also something like an ap
Proclamation to the time required by the Sun to
perform one revolution Oh its axis. lie estimated
the period to be about twenty five days.
Before another step was taken IN TIN, inquiry
very many years elapsed; nor was the light they
cast on the nature of the Substance and constitution
of the Sun recognized until the times OF DIR. Alex
ander Wilson and Sir William Herschel,-the for
mer Of these eminent men, earliest beyond douOt
establishing the cardinal fact in this high inquiry
terze Solar spot had attracted his attention and
accident as he modestly sad-but Of course one Of
those accidents that can be taken advantage OF by
Genius enabled him through them to read the
whole significance OF the phenomena. Tue lea
lures Ia question are these.
The spots that attracted Dr. Wilson 5 attention
a man whom am proud to name as my almost i'm
mediate predecessor-were as follows 10 10Y,
a large spot broke out IN the middle Of the sun
which attracted the attention OF all the Astrono'
mers Of that time. He noticed that this spot was
moving onward, and that as 1t passed across
the surface Of the Sun. a very singular series oil
changes occurred When IN the Suns center, the
spot presented the following phenomena, Just as IN
the fact do all the spots on the suns surface lie
found that the center was the only portion OF the
spot that was quite dark. Around the center ne
found an edgiDg which he called the Ombra- AS
the spot went forward. the Umbra diminished and
when il went on still farther the Jmbra dsap-
peared and nothing but the edgiDg on the side op-
posite himself was visible. Here the Lecturer
referred to a couple OF large diagrams represent
ing the various phenomena presented by these
Solar spots ,,,.,
In EXPLANATION OF these phenomena Wilson
formed very ingenious theory. He said II THIS
large spot lasts long enough for the sun to bring II
round again, | shall see the following phenomena
As IL comes round, shall see, first the opposite
edging and as 1t comes on down to the center OF
the Sun shall see the spot with It's black center
surrounded
continue long enough for Wilson to make the de
sired observations and he found bis predictions In
every respect verified The lecturer here ex.
hibited by means o, a common globe the course oil
reasoning pursued by Wilson IN the formation Of
his theory.
Ii followed at once, from Wilson's capital dis
coverv. that our magnificent Lumlnary Is not cha
otto confederation, but body having definite or
ganization revealed in 50 far by the aspects oil
tbese openinss and to the solution OF the mOmen-
tons question as to what this organization IS the
singular powers OF the elder Herschel came quickly
in aid OF the efforts OF hlg friend WIN DOth Of
these illustrous men, It early became uAea DC
lief that the surface thus broken by chasms must
be aerial-or some elastic gaseous faid Ike our
atmosphere for notwithstanding the magnitude
of these spots, sometimes reaching even oOOoO
miles in diameter-they open aud close win
rapidtv next TO marvellous often surprising the
rate OF 1000 miles day.
Nowhere. perhaps, IN all the annals oil DISCO
very. is there aught that more stlrs thought or
raises more strange questions than this Let US
see into what il summons us TO inquire
/ The play of sudden, tremendous and evsnescent
forces either connected with the solid body OF the
sun or generated within his atmosphere, mas De
! come an absolute fact now where and what are
these But in the first place and passing bey on1
the spots let us briefly review the whole known
phenomena A., ...,,.
nbsre of the Sun. over all its surface, waves oil
iight seem to dart necessarily, assuming the most
varied aspects The bright part, as Herschel early
discerned is fall OF inequalities, showing u's,'
parts more brilliant than the rest sometimes round
sometimes elougated-mountain pillows IN ua'
! LIGHT ocean. Then there are large dim spots eN
! tending over immense tracts but showing no DARK
ceuter--cousttuting what Herschel termed s|"-
/ iOrs.
We lind that these spots are not hxed' out are
I continually dashing along the center OF the o1n
| Now. when we come 20 the consideration OF the
spots themselves we ind them characterized oy
certain remarkable phenomena which VIII enAole
Is 70 ascertain their cause. spot never appears
twice in the same place but although they are
not confined 10 point they are confined 70 regions
They always appears in the sun torrid zone. -" {
never ind the spot breaking out beyond that pen
| Then again. on looking more minutey, We ma ,hs
! SCOT. themselves have q moton-a motion besides
that which the rotation of the Sun causes lnd u Is
| most peculiar We find that the spots wnlcn aP'
near North Of the Suns Equator, move slowly
toward the North, till they get TO the temperate
| regions and then disappear. No instance mas
! been Known Of spots formed IN the North gong
/ south. Just So. spots Of the South move 1o"Hu
/ the South temperate zone and disappear
Therein. still another circumstance ohaIacierizins