The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-08-12
THE TRIBUNE.
1HE SUN AND THE EARTH.
Curious Innuence-A Magnetic Storm
From the London spectator.]

from the London spectator.l
On September /, 1851. shortly before
noon, two astronomers-Messrs. Hodg-
son and Carrington-one at Oxford, the
other In London, were at the same IN
slant scrutinizing a 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 observers thought the darken-
ing screens attached to their telescopes
must have become fractured. But this
was found not to be the case. The bright
spots indicated some process going on
upon the suns surface process OF such
activity that within FIVE minutes the
spots travelled over space OF nearly
thirty-four thousand miles. Now. at
the Kew Observatory there are selfregls-
tering magnetic instruments which indl-
cate the processes of change Dy which
the subtle influences of terrestrial mag
netism wax and wane. At one time the
line traced by the pointer will be mark
ed by scarcely preceptlble fluctuations,
indicating the almost quiescent state OF
the great terrestrial magnet. At anoth-
er. we'll marked waves along the line
exhibit the pulsations of the magnetic
system, Influenced In manner as yet
unintelligible to the physicist. And then
there is third form of disturbance, the
sharp, sudden jerks of the pointer ex-
knitting the occurrence of those mys-
ferrous phenomena termed magnetic
storms When the records of the Kew
Observatory came to be looked over, it
was found that at the very instant in
which the brilliant spots OF light had-ap-
peared to Messrs. Hodgson and Caring
ton, the elfregistering instruments had
been subjected to the third and most
significant form of disturbance mag
netic storm begarf, 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 respond
ed to the solar action. 1t was subse-
queptly found that soon after the spots
of light had appeared the whole frame of
the earth had thrilled under mysterl
GUS magnetic influence. At the West
Indies, in South America, in Australia,
wherever magnetic observations are sys-
ematicaliy made, the Observers had the
anne story to tell. In the telegraph
tations at Washington and Philadel phia
he signalmep received strong electric
hooks. In Norway Geographic machln-
ry was set on fire. The pen of Balm
e,egraph was followed by fame. And
wherever Geographic wires were in &C
ion, wellmarked indications of disturb
nee presented themselves. Even this,
however, was not all. The great electric
torn was not a mere instantaneous
hroe Hours passed before the disturb
ID earth resumed its ordinary state.
And thus it happened that IN nearly all
parts of the earth nj ht fell while the
storm was yet In progress. During the
night magnificent auroras spred their
waving steamers over the sky, both In
he Northern and Southern hemisphere
As the disturbed reedle vibrated the
-olored streamers waved responsive. and
it was only when the magnetic storm was
subsiding that the auroral lights faded
from the heavens Now it is evident
that these phenomena show the most in
innate relation between these peculiar
disturbance In the sun and the magnetic
currents OF our own earth. Directly one
Of these changes takes place upwards of
ninety millions of miles away, the cleo
trio condition of our planet is changed
n some mysterious way, of which our
Instruments, and even the conditions of
,ur sky, bear record. The pens of all
our telegraphic wires may some day trace
n fame handwriting more OMNIBUS of
human destiny than was the handwriting
which during Belshazzar' feast traced
/ warning on the wall of the fall
IF the Babylonian dynasty. Moreover,
aotc this, that these changes in the sun
take place at intervals of about eleven
years The variable star which swings
round it, as well as supplying us with
light and heat and apparently magne-
tism, clouds over every eleven years these
spots, so that it seems most likely that
every eleven years certain magnetic con-
ditiont recur which have not occurred in
the interval IF SO perhaps, the magnet
ic excitement of 1859 Will recur, and it
may be in much greater force next year
in 1870 And if it does, how are we
to say what may or what may not recur
with it?
Even now one such epoch of magnetic
storm seems to be thought pretty near at
hand The sun has been lately exhibit
ting the most surprising forms of disturb
ance, and presenting to scientific eyes
less ''fxity' of essence than ever. Spots
so vast that we must estimate their di-
mensions by millions of square miles
have broken out from time to time, and
have presented rapid changer of figure,
Indicating tue dctlou VI IorCeS Vi ilCou-
ceivabe intensity. Clusters of smaller
spots, extending over yet vaster areas,
have exhibited every form of disturbance
known to the solar physicist, and every
degree of light, from the apparent black
ness Tin reality only relatlvel of the
nuclei, to the intense brilliancy of the
fabulous ridges And we now know that
the curious, with which, as they happen
ut distances, Of bpya ninety million of
miles, practical men need not concern
themselves.
The NnYf Annnrfi0nmenf