Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-03
.CFrom Appleson's Journal.1
The Wonders Of the Sun.


ent highly.excited souditiou of the suns
atmosphere. It declares that column Of
magnetic light is shooting out farther odd
farther from the solar sphere, and il is
now stretching out forty. five millions Of
miles,. In other words, it has accomplished
half the distance between rs and tho sun.
A Michigan editor, Who has encoun.
tered this formidable paragraph, desires,
with not unreasonable anxiety, to know
/" how long it will be before this mighty
magnetic column finishes the rest of the
distance, aud bridges the gigantic Shasm
between the earth and the sun? Is it q
messenger sent out to snatch US UP as
food for the insatiate monster that keeps
himself warm by dcvouriug planets, and
whose re.eatins propeusities this whole
earth would satisfy for few days only !!
If SO, how long will this emissary be in
reaching us, and carrying the globe away
as if we we're gigantic lump Of coal for
roaring furnace? 1t is predicted that,
before the end Of next year, this magnetic
light will have got near enough to US to
make its immediate and actual influence
upon the earth distinctly felt. 1t is an.
nouuced that in consequence we may ex.
pect to see phenomena that have never
been seen or known before by the human
race. If any Of our readers are, there.
fore, yet disposed to complain Of the
earthquake, let them remember that, by
this time next year, they may have an
entire new line Of experiences to explain
aud endure, in comparison with which the
ftfal winter and rough, rude autumn Of
to-day may seem like June morning in
Paradise, and the earthquakes shock and
lishtnins's storm placid rocking in the
cradle with pleasant lullaby Of thunder"
In his perplexity, the Michigan editor
naturally resorts to the Journal for solu.
ton of this great question, and. sending
US his own remarks, desires to know what
we think of the matter.
Our opinion is, that there is nothing to
be alarmed at in the present manifesto
tions of excited action in the suns atmos.
phere. Similar phenomena have doubt
less occurred thousands Of times before,
the only difference being that we now pos
sess means Of observing them Which we're
unknown to the astronomers Of past ages.
We condense, from a recent number Of
the London Spectator, the following &C.
count of these solar wonders, from which
We infer that the newspaper statement
above referred to is merely an exaggera-
ton of the truth, and that the magnetic
column which it mentions should be
measured by thousands and not by mil.
lions Of miles, The Spectator says:-
Astronomers have been revealing so
many wonders in the vast globe which
rules the planetary scheme, that We can
not yet hope to see the startling results Of
their researches co.ordinated into . con.
sistent whole. On every hand new mar
vels are being brought to light. At one
time, Mr.. Lockyer surprises us by exhibit
ing the amazing velocities with which the
solar storms rage across the blazing sur
face of our lumiuary. At another, the
energetic astronomer who presides over
the Roman Observatory tells US Of water
within the fierce tumult Of the solar spots.
The Kew observers track the strange in.
flueuces of the planets on the solar attios-
phere, watching, not only the great tide Of
spots which sweeps 10 the ten-year period
over the solar storm zones, and then leaves
our sun clear from speck or stain, but also
the ripples Of spotformation which come
iu shorter periods, and seem inextricably
blended, to ordinary observers, with the
great periodic disturbances. Lastly, Lock.
yer, Higgins, Zollner, and Secchi, de-
scribe the magic changes Of form which
pass over tongues of fame, projecting
thousands of miles from the solar surface.
ave have before US, as wc write, .
series Of colored prominence pictures. ta'
ken by Dr.. Zolluer, the eminent photo
metriciau. 1t is impossible to contemplate
these strange figures without sense OF
the magui6cence Of the problem which the
sun presents to astronomers. Here are
vast entities-Aames, if We will, but flames
unlike all those with which We are familiar.
And these vast tongues Of fire assume
forms which speak to US at once Of the
action of forces Of the utmost violence and
intensity. The very aspect Of these OBJ
| iccts at once teaches this; but it is the