Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-11-22
AstrOnofntc Forecasts.

Il writer II q SsA Fraccl:co paper, referring 10
the parihelion passage of planets in the nesr FL
TUE, advances ths prediction thst va ara ap
preaching p:riod great msgr etc and mate {.
orolcgicEl per!urbstiors over ths entire globe
This remarkable prophecy. based upon the sup
posed connection between cosuicll cherges and
thoss OF the earth's atmosphere, is tu. one of e
large and increasing number Of semi. scientific
COLO u3ions growing Gu. of modern astronomic
research. Jupiter has now passed tho point a.
which it is nearest the sun, but believers in the
agency Of planets in causing solar disturbances
wall, as hss been already suggested sec evidence
OF his ret!ea!ing lDtnerco on the crest lumfnary
in the recent premature snow storms 10 Europe
aud America, the earthquakes in the Spanish
peniEsue, and the terrific cyclones en- our lakes
and over the British Islands. Saturn, on the
other herd has loW passed tina. part If his Or
bit in which be is dearest The earth. and s still
moving toward perihellon, and will continue 10
grow brighter at each opposition until 1884.
when he will approach about q hundred million
miles nearer tho sun than when st his msximum
distance. fui SO far as rigid observation has
yet gore it does cot appear lhst either OF these
planets in the varying conditions OF hest and
cold to which they are subjected at different
parts Of their orbits send forth any pulsstion of
energy reaching cur globe ID sut clent Intensity
10 produce mark ed atmospheric commo,ion.
n fss c:Ea!ing feature Of tho hypothesis which
aeeks 10 link I'll great terrestrial convus:oDs
with tho motions ard iLhuaEc,s of tho planets
ia lhst if estsbli=hed it would su2ersede, or at
least greatly supplement, the ]soorious ob,erVA-
lions now made for purposes OF weather predi-
ction, end make possible the provision Of earth.
Qus k: IS, msgnetlc and ether phenomena with
astronomical co,t5inty. The attempt is by no
means hopeless. We SEQ the msgnetic needle
vibrating simultaneously over the whole globe
during t sut den soisr storm, 'eVen when" IS
Hum )Idt observed mo luminous traces Of the
magnetic tempest arc seen on tbs celes.
lial vault" Sir Joha Herschsl places it
beyond doubt thst tina moon sc.s directly as
magnet on the estth's magnetism. producing
periodical fluctuations IN the latter" and Prof.
Percy, in lsG3. determined from EeTeral years
observations. carefully tabulste1, that earth.
quskes occur most frequently near times of new
and fu'l moon; while very recently Protector
Edlund, OF Stockholm, hiss shown the secular
chsnge3 in atmospheric electricity, SO Influential
in Terrestrial ne!eorology. a:e due to csuses Gu
eide cf the earth.
We are now entering long period prolific in
important estronomic events. The great south
ern 60 net Of 1880 approached 60 near the sun
that it swept around its perheion passage with
enormous velocity, ligaling the great comet CT
is 10, which was very closeso the sun. and in one
day traversed over Three fourths Of its entire OF
bit Although astronomers failed 10 get IS good
observations Ct this bOiy SO they would have
desired, they have others in prospect. Wiz
necke's comet, not far behind Swits's recently
discovered comet ms es its perihelicn passage
December 9Th, and is Ek,ly TO be visible for
some we. X !erWsrd. Fsy's comet will DO at
perihelion January 22j, 1881, followed in No.
venber by Encko's, and before it is due look.
Gu. will be kept for the como. of 15l2 Four
eclipses, two cf the sun and or of the moon Zone
total ecipso) occur in 1881, while in the same
year, ss Iirsad Sstuil has.ens toTaid the sun,
cressing opportunity to study their textures.
These snd similar phenomena 60 soon to take
place will open the way to test the theories
which mako our atmospheric envelope delicate
sensoriuE, promptly respor ding to every w.vc
OF physica! energy that beats Ga it from stellar
spcce ~ !. Herald.