The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-05-08
SPOTS On TIE SIN.
They will be Numerous the Next
Two Years. a Number now Visible.

| They will be Numerous the Mex
| Two Years. a Number now Visible.
| The period is now approaching when tn,
greatest number OF spots appear on tn,
| solar surface. Even at the present time
several are visible, and some of them Of
| considerable size. 4 number Of facts seem
to warrant the opinion OF perhaps ma
jority OF physicists that the changes on the
disc Of the central luminary which the
spots show to be taking place influence
many phenomena on the earth. The varia-
tions, therefore, from uniform brightness on
the great orb of the day are at present
watched with an interest which was I'm.
known in the infancy OF optical and
astronomical science. The discovery of
the checkered physiognomy Of the solar orb
is due to Calico, though accounts
of variations in the Guns light
date as far back as the reign of
Augustus Cesar. In April, 1861, soon after
the invention OF the telescope, spots were
observed by the Florentine astronomer and
nearly at the same time by Schreiner, a
German Jesuit, and Fabricus, the friend OF
Kepler. Being unac9uainted with anv
means Of diminishing the intense glare, the
first telescopists were obliged to make their
observations through thin clouds or when
the sun was near the horizon. The blind
ness which embIttered the latter DAYS of
Calico was no doubt caused by watching
the sun spots, and the elder Herschel lost
one of his eyes in consequence Of his close
study Of solar phenomens.
1t has been found from the examination
of long series of observations that the
times Of the greatest number of spots recur
in about eleven years. The last took place
in the summer Of ISL. In that year and
the preceding they were frequently OBJ
served and measurements made of their
size at the observatory in this city. On
two occasions a spot was observed with the
naked eye which was at least $1,000 in
diameter. In 1889 spots OF $4,000 and even
"A 600 miles are recorded. 10 1916 they
we're seen on several occasions without the
aid of the telescope.
The readiest way of observing the spots
il to receive the image of the sun either on
a screen or paper marked by perpendicu-
lar and horizontal lines at on equal dis |
lance from one another: Not only the out
line Of the spot, but also its relative size
can thus easily be traced. Many theories
have been brought forward to account for |
Inc epots Ou the sOldI euIldCe, especially
,ince the rose colored flames which appear |
during a total eclipse of that luminary
have been shown to be caused BY hydrogen
,as, But with the exception Of this fact |
md the manifest effects OF oyclone-like
waves which rise and produce disturbances
n portions OF Its dis, the true causes OF the
changes on the suns surfsce, with the ex-
,eption Of tho-e IrodSced BY some Of the
planets, as well az the sources of its he 1t
md light, are unknown. Observations of
he spots now appearing, and which will
'ecome more numerous during the next
wo years, may enable physicists to deter
nine many questions connected with the
entral luminary which are now unanswer-
d. The eldea Herschel supposed that the
versged temperature of years in which
arge number of spots appear on the solar
urface is generally lower. This has not
cen fully proved, yet the summer of 1916,
1916, so remarkable for large spots, was
ne coolest on record in the United States.