The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-31
THE SUN AND TIE EARTH
ouriou. Inn"enee-a Magnetic storn
From the London SPECTATOR

On september !, 1ooS, suSrtIy peIote uoou,
two astronopers-Messrs. Hodgson and Car
rineton-oneat Oxford, the other in London,
were at the same instant scrutinizing large
group Of sun spots. On sudden two intensely
bright patches OF light appeared in front Of the
cluster. So brilliant were they that the observ-
,ers thought the darkepiuy screens attached to
their telescopes must have been fractured. But
this was found not to be The case. The bright
spots indicated some process going on upon
the sun's surface-s process Of such activity
that within Eve minutes the spots travel ed
over q space Of nearly thirty-four thousand
miles. Now, ct the Kew Observatory there are
iseit.registering magnetic instruments which
lidicste the processes Of change by which the
subtle influences Of terrestrial magnetism wax
and waue. At one time the line traced by the
pointer vii be marked By scarcely perceptible
state OF the great terrestrial magnets. At an
;othef, well marked waves along thu line ex-
lhibit the pul atoms OF the magnetic system,
Influenced in manner. % yet intelligible to
the ply. icist. And then there is third form
Of disturbance, the0harp, sudden jerks OF the
pointer exhibiting the occurrence Of those
storms" When the records Of the Kew OBJ
servatory came to be looked over. it was found
that at the very instant in which the brilliant
spots Of hight had appeared to Messrs. Hodg-
son and Darlington, the; sef-reaistering in
struments had been subjected to the third and
most significant form Of Disturbances mag.
netic storm began, In fact, as the light broke
out on the suns surface. But this was not
the only evidence Of the sympathy with which
the earth responded to the solar. action. 1t
was subsequently found that soon after the
spots Of Light had appeared the whole frame
OF the earth had thrilled under mysterious
magneii: influence. At the West Iudies. in
South America, in Australia, wherever mag
ksna 1lrt f1a
observers had the same story to tell. In the
telegraph stations at Washington and Phila-
delphia the signalman received strong electric
shocks. In Norway telegraphic machinery was
set on fire. The pen OF Bains telegraph was
followed by flame. Aud wherever telegraphic
wires were in action. well marked indications
OF disturbance presented themselves. Even
netic storm was not mere instantaneous elec-
trio throe. Hours passed before the disturbed
earth resumed it's ordinary state. And thus
it happened that in nearly all parts OF the
earth night fell while the storm was yet IN
progress. DminS the night magnificent au-
rorss spread their waving streamers over the
sky. both in the northern and the southern
hemisphere. As the disturbed needle yibra-
ted the colored streamers waved responsive,
apd 1t was only when the magnetic storm was
subsiding that the auroral tights faded from
the heavens. Now it is evident that these
phenomena show the most intimate relation
between these peculiar disturbances in the sun
and the magnetic currents Of our own earth.
Directly one Of these changes takes place up
wards of ninety millions of miles away. the
electric condition of our planet is changed in
some mysterious way, Of which our instru-
ments, ard even the condition of our SKY, hear
RET ord. The pens Of all our telegraphic wires
may some day trace in fame handwriting
more ominous Of human destiny than was the
handwriting which. curing Belshazzar's feast,
traced warning on the wall OF the fall OF
the Babylonisn dynasty. Moreover, note
this, that these changes in the condition
OF the sun take place at intervals Of about
eleven years. The variable star which swings
round 1t, as well as supplying US with light
and heat and tapparently) magnetism, clouds
over every eleven years these spots, 20 that it
seems most likely that every eleven years Ger
tam magnetic conditions recur which have not
occurred in the interval. II 30. perhaps, the
magnetic excitement OF 1859 will recur, and it
1870. And II it does, how are we to say what
may or may not recur with it?
Even now one such epoch Of magnetic storm
seems to be thought pretty near at pand. The
sun has been exhibiting lately the most sur
prlsing forms Of disturbances; and presenting
to scientific eyes less ',f1lty" Of essence than
ever. Spots 30 vast that we must estimate
their dimensions bY millions OF SQUARE miles
have broken out from time to time, and have
presented rapid changes Of figure, indicating
the action OF forces Of iRconcelvable intensity.
Clusters of smaller spots. extending over yet
vaster areas, have exhibited every form of dis.
turbance known to the solar physicist, and
every degree OF light, from the parent black
less (in reality only relatively Of the nuclei. to
the intense brilliancy Of the flculous ridges.
And We now know that these appearances are
not merely matters for the CURIOUS. with which
as they happen at dis ance Of above ninety
millions OF miles, practical men neel not con-
Germ themselyes