Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-10-20
OBSERVATORY ALLso.Hi.Ni
Sept. 70. 1870.


large enough to he visible 10 tho naked
eye 10 . rare occurrence, but il NAV now
be noticed by any one who takes the
trouble 10 observe them. The aspect Of
the sun through a large telescope i one
| iust now of singular interest. and II
| seems 10 claim attention from ob.cry-
ers.
Here. where the remarkable changes
of The solar surface have formed the sub
jcct of repeated observation daily. map.
oi the positions OF the spots are made.
and their singular variations have been
the object oi most interested scrutiny.
The side Of the sun now turned low
| ard rs is 10 day covered with hundreds
Of them, of all .izes and in all stages of
growth. while the opposite side. 10 he
| presented 10 us a lew DAYS latter. is
comparatively bare.
| The area of one OF the large .nots.
which Is bow near the centre OF the disc,
uremcmts, and fouud to exceed 100
o., 900 square miles. Such immense
numbers convey no very definite i'm
preston. and perhaps more vivid idea
OF the size NAV be- gained by comparing
| il with that OF the earth. whose entire
area is less than tenth part OF that
just given.
This is the area of the penumhra an
immense expansc of variegaied forms.
crossed by channels and oonvcrgcmi.
streams OF luminous matter, all shifting
under III action like that o. some whirl-
| wind, which is twisting them from one
| position 10 another. and changing their
form from hour TO hour.-The current
sometimes appears to run downward.
carving with ii great masses OF the lu-
minous matter to lower depths. and
opening, as il does so, black cavities of
q size commensurate with the scale on
which this action is carried on.
The largest of these cavities j, seen
to be overhung with parts of the bril-
liant eurface, which visibly break away
in enormous portions. and sink in ou,
Of sight. Indeed. il is quite within the
truth to say that globe the size of the
world might be dropped in without
touching either side. II is impossible
TO convey All adequate idea of the i'm
preston Of infinite and exhaustless ener-
gy of which one j. conscious while be-
holding this with adequate optical sid.
Masses, the size of whole continents, are
utterly changed in shape. or disappear
from one day TO another, sometimes
while the observer watches them. and
the whole "spot' is, to all appearance,
being slowly rotated by the cyclones
| which are visibly working there.
This Is one OF many centres OF similar
action, not all on the same scale, but
battling the eve by their humber. and
incessant change Of form, which the
| draughi sman labors after in vain. and
which even the photograph can but i'm
perfectly ren.er. Al one of our largest
obeervatories the photograph is en-
plOyed 10 make daily chart of these
changes, and al inspection OF its truth
| full and unbiased record will convey a
more conclusive sense OF the almost aw-
ful magnitude aud energy of the solar
forces than the most vivid description.
One who has been accustomed TO
watch them must feel the inatequacy of
any attempt 10 describe these .'spois.-
aud still more so Of The fuiility OF try
ing to convey his own impression by
any extravaganza Of description or com
parison.
The wonder mnst lie in the considera-
tion Of authentic measurements, which
are left TO tell their ow n story.
The public may not share the infer
est Of the professional observer in such
matters, but our own planet is too inii-
mately connected with these phenome.
ns not to make them claim some inter
est from Nil Ut us.-why the magnetic
needles move re.poDsively TO these great
changes IN the sun, Or why aurorss will
light up our wintry sky NJ intervals
more frequently repeated as this solar
seton Is more violent, are questions
which astronomy Is now trying TO al
swer. The fact tilat they do 80 is GER
tain; the canss il till wholly unk nown