The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-14
NATURAL SCIENCES.
|. -
Electricity and the Solar system-Comets an
their Tails, Etc. Etc.

Electricity and the Solar S-ystem-Comets AMI
their Tails, Etc, Etc.
At the last meeting of the Academy Pro
fessor Jacob Ennis continued his argument
in support of his theory of the electric con
stitution of the solar system. After consid
ering the electrical influence which must b,
exertei by the vapOr Arising constantly from
the salt water of the ocean, he spoke of ths
phenomenon of the aurora borealis, pointing
out the fallacy of supposing that its appear
ance was periodic. Some investigators rad
employed themselves in making tables and
statistics of the appearance of the northern
Light, but in reality there was abundant EVIL
dcnce that such appearance could be OBJ
served every night throughout Ia year il
looked for from a proper standpoint. In
continuation Professor Ennis her dwell
upon the nature Of comets and their tails
M the phenomena presented by these bod
les can be explained upon the theory ad'
yunccd. Whom far away they cannot BE-
surn, and they do not become visible unit
hey arc within half the distance of Jupiter
Then, being under the influence of the SUM-
4cat, some OF their materials are vaporizod
md this vapor evolves the electric fluid
Eich constitutes tho tail. This evolution
Z electricity and consequent electric light
is so abundant that from being invisible the
omet j. now the brightest and most mug.
uilcCnt OF the stars, filling the world WITH
Sonler Rud in some degree with terror.
tiuinly tie comets do not shine with the
effected light Of the sun, but by their Own
dependent luminosity.
Comets have been known to separ-te in
sgo CT more parts, each part forming d rue
clmC;, with head, nucleus and tail. Iey
an have but little cohesion in thoi Did
bodies, and the electric repulsIou Yes
them apart. These parts continue Co., ak
up until they form Thousands Of 'uu sOrs
such as those which appear in the Ky alr.
ing August and November. The effect Of
electric rrpllsion upon bodies Of small cohe'
siye force can be p%rettily shown by attach.
ing a bundle of milkweed seeds by a string
TO the main conductor of ar electrical ma
chime, when it will be found that the cur
rent will rapidly scatter the silky masses in
al directions.
The tails of some comets are more than q
hundred millions Of miles long, The Won
Ter Is that such small bodies should evolve
80 much electricity, such long electric
brushes rs these tails. But the same
.xtraOrdinary evolution is seen IN the sun,
which during hUudruls of millions of years
las been scudirg fcitl such a flood of light
aud heat. II the sun were charcoal it
would burn out in aJout > 900 years. But
his long. continued burning proves that his
tAtAL uAN NNAN NllA'l'A AAb4AA eAIg AAttAAN
ials in our earth. And 30 the comets, to
produce so much electricity by evaporation,
must have very different elements from any
ia our planet.
The tails Of comets, however long, point
away from the sun both in coming aud in
-oing. This can be explained by the theory
That the corona of the sun is a great electric
brush-a stream of the electric fluid, dart
ing ont from the sun on every side, about o
million of miles being visible As electricity
rcpcls electricity. the much greater mass OF
the electric fluid forming the solar corona
drives of the tails Of the comets in the di.
rcction away from the sun.
The paper of which Professor Ennis gave
IN abstract was referred to the Publication
Committee of the Academy.
Among the additions to the museum re.
corded MS having been received during the
week were a large number of specimens
dredged on a cruise of the United States
ship Portsmouth, in the Pacific Ocean dur.
ing the years 1920. They were pre-
seu,ad by DIR, William II. Jones, of the
UnIad States Navy. A number of speci-
mcu Of minerals, fishes, mammals, etc,
wer also received, which viii be promptly
ara red with tine other collections in the
mu um.-FhRadelph m Imertcsm.