The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-01-12
Sun Spots.
One OF Unusual Magnitude and Drlilinney
discovered by Prof. LansIsy.

One of unusuAI Magnitude and Driiiinney
Discovered by Prof Langley.
The following interesting letter ap.
pears in the Pittsburgh GaEetto;
During the past week spot has mp.
peared on the sun OF such unusual mag
nitude as to have been visible to the
naked eye, and the occurrence is rare
enough to attract attention, not only
from professional observers, but from
all who take IN occasional interest in
such matters. Such large spots, 1t is
now well known, usually are visible, II
OF all, at certain definite periods, the
last time OF their maximum having
passed some three years ago, and
though smaller ones are at nearly all
times seen with the telescope, 1t is more
than two years since any has presented
itself Of the size Of this, which, coming
so for out Of season, offers q spectacle
which is not likely to be repeated for
several years.
Perhaps, then, l may feel warranted
in inviting attention to the spot in
question, which can now be seen near
ing the western side OF the sun where
II Is conspicuous with very little optical
aid, and is even visible with attention
through smoked glass, looking like a
small cloud on the brightness Of the
western limb, behind which II will soon
disappear. Through q great telescope
the spectacle is remarkable, over 40
smaller spots having united to form the
large one, whose length is somewhat
over $1,000 miles. Throughout this
extent the surface is broken up and
tossed into every form into which the
solar cyclones can distort the intensely
brilliant matter on which they are act.
ing. Curyilinear outlines (the traces
left by these whirlwinds) predominate,
but the intricacy and beauty Of the
shapes are beyond comparison with any
OF the cloud-forms OF our own atmos.
phere, as they are also more definite in
outline. Some are crystalline in the
precision OF their details; but while
the crystalline patterns the frost traces
on our window.panes are not more
beautiful or definite, they cannot rival
the vivid splendor OF these solar forms,
or bring up tile impression We gain
when we observe that as vast as the real
dime nsions must be, they arc shifting
and passing into new shapes from hour
to hour, and even yisibly changing
while we gaze.
The interior Of o pudding furnace,
in which the white masses Of iron are
seen, looking like melted snow, is in
miniature not wholly IN unsatisfactory
type Of one Of these, and perhaps to
Pittsburgh reader such compassion
will be as descriptive as any which can
be offered. The resemblance holds in
more points than one, for iron heated
TO the point where 1t passes iuto glow
ing vapor is one OF the prominent in.
gradients in the cloudsover and around
The spot. II is known that in our own
blast furnaces o comparatively small
quantity OF the metal Is yaporized out
Of every charge, and the results Of IN
interesting estimate show that the total
quantity OF iron thus dissipated in the
smoke Of Pittsburgh furnaces reaches
IN annual amount Of over 5000 TONS
IN estimate which is startling, but
within the truth. With the help Of
this result, and that Of measurements
made ut the Observatory, Which shows
that the "spot' covers over 1,GO0, ,0OO,-
900 square miles, we may try TO con-
ceiye the magnitude OF the action which
fills with tie vapor Of iron and the
rarer metals such nm area, every part Of
which is necessarily at a temperature
above any that the blast furnace can
rival.
When We thus translate our micro.
metric measurements from degrees and
minutes into the more familiar ones Of
miles and yards, we are met by num-
bers so great that It does not seem pos.
sible to realize the hequantities they stand
for, and thus stated they never grow so
familiar US not to bring even to the
computer q kind Of new surprise with
each yerifcation. Reckoning in this
way, we End that the minutest apparent
dot in all the complexity Of forms l
have alluded TO, must, for instance, be
larger in reality than the State Of Penn
sylvania to be OF the least visible mag
nitude in our most powerful telescopes,
Though oil 1 have even SO briefly de.
scribed cannot be seen in ordinary in.
struments, the smallest will yet show
enough to make the "spot" m object
Of interest which some Of your readers
will, in this holiday season, perhaps,
find some inclination and leisure TO en-
Joy. g r.O