Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-22
SOMETHING WRONG WITH SOL
Remarkable Disturbances in the Solar
Observation-Disclosures Outflow
Of VapOr Of Magnetlsm-A
Change In its Light.
Suppose that the Sun Should Go Out, or
Become Fifty-fOld Brighter
and Hotter!

When we consider the intense hea
which has prevailed in Europe during
July, and the circumstance that in
| America, also, the heat has been exces.
sive, insomuch that in New York the
number of deaths during the week end
/ ing July 9Th, was three times greater
than the average, and in view of the
1 terrific, intense, blistering heat of yes
| terday, we are naturally led to the con
elusion that the sun himself is giving
out more heat than usual. Though not
indorsing such an opinion, which, in
deed, is not warranted by the facts, since
! terrestrial causes are quite sufficient to
explain the recent unusual heats, we
cannot refrain from noting, as at least a
curious coincidence, that at the very time
when the heat has been so great, the
great central luminary of the solar sys-
TEN has been the scene of very re-
markable disturbance. " More than
one person." says Tacchini, ''has told
me that the light of the sun has
not at present its ordinary aspect +:
and at the Observatory we have
judged that We might make the same
remark. The change must be attribu-
ted to magnetism" 1t is impossible to
consider attentively
THE REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE
recorded by Tacchini without being
struck by the evidence which it affords
of solar mutability. We know that
during thousands of years our sun has
poured forth his light and heat upon the
worlds which circle around him, and
that there has been no marked inter
mittance of the supply. We ehear, in
deed, of occasions when the sun has
been darkened for a while; and we
have abundant reasons for believ-
ing that he has at times been
so spOt-covered that there has
been a notable diminutiOn of the
supply of light and heat for several days
together. Yet we have had no reasons
for anticipating that our sun might
permanently lose so much of his heat
and lusteF that the inhabitants of the
earth would suffer. Tacchinrs observa-
ton reminds US, however, that pro-
cesses are at work upon the sun which
admit of being checked or increased, in
terrupted altogether or exaggerated so
violently, as it were, that the whole as
pect of the sun, his condition as
THE FIRE AND LAMP
of the planetary system may be serious
ly affected. If We only remember that
our sun is one of the stars, not in any
way distinguished, unless perhaps by
relative insignificance, from the great
bulk of the stars which illuminate our
skies at night, or are revealed by the
telescope, We shall learn to recognize the
possibility that he may undergo marked
changes. There are stars which, after
shining with apparent steadiness for
thousands of years POSSIBLY for millions
of years before astronomy was thought
of, having become suddenly much re-
duced in brightness, or after few flicker
ings (asitwere) have gone out altogether.
There are are others which have shone
with equal steadiness, and have then
blaZed out with luster ex-
ceeding a hundred-fold that which they
formerly possessed. 1t would be equally
for ourselves whether the
sun suddenly lost the best part of his
light, and presently went out altogether,
or whether he suddenly grew
BRIGHTER AND HOTTER
than he now is. Yet, in the present po-
sitiOn of Sidereal astronomy, it is quite
to assert confidently that one
event or the other might not take |
place at any time. Fortunately we
may view this matter just as astronO-
meTs have learned to view the pros
Dect of mischievous collisions with |
,Omets) as a question of probable |
ties. Among so many thousands of 1
stars there have been so many sudden /
)utbursts of light and fire, so many sud- /
len defalcations of splendor. Our sun is |
me of those thousands, and so far as we |
know takes his chance with the rest. |
then, as we derive confidence |
rom the law of probabilities, that since |
70 many only out of so many millions
perish by lightning or any other speci-
led form of injury, any individual per-
ON is unlikely to perish in that particu-
ar way; so we may reason about our
since only small proportion
# his fellow suns undergo
DISASTROUS CHANGES,
lie is unlikely to be one of the unfOrtu-
lates. 1t may be that one of these
lays, when we obtain clearer ideas of
hestricture of the sidereal universe than
We at present possess, We may obtain
more satisfactory reasons for confidence.
The analysis of stars with the spectre
cope, the recently proposed processes
# star gauging, the application of new
of determining star motions,
hese and other researches may show
What are the conditions which render q
un's tenure of office precarious. Letit
,e hoped that when this has been ac-
large majority of the con-
Iitions in questions viii be found, in
he case of our own sun, to be favorable
o the permanence of this position as
ire, light, and life of the planetary sys-
EN-.