Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-11-20
THE SUN SPOT.
Yesterdays View OF Old SoPs
Black Eye.
The Appearance and Cause Of the Spots and
Their Supposed Relation to the Re-
cent Great Electric Storm.


Yesterday morning broke bright and
clear a. crystal and the sun rose above the
Eastern hills with the splendor Of . spring
morning. Absat II o'clock REsrsrEs re-
porter, armed with powerful lorgnette and
4 piece of smoked glass, had good view OF
the luminary, with the intention OF taking
observations Of the spot or spots, which
have attracted so much attention and fur
nished 50 much food for speculation and
conjecture. The shaded glass permitted .
fine view Of the sun without the usual OPP
teal pain and thsconYex glasses OF the 'o-g
nette made the vision much more perfect.
On the lower, eastern portion Of the disc
could plainly be perceived, not spst, but
apparently q group OF spots. Detached
from the rest and little to the south was
one that might easily have been mistaken
for planet crossing the suns face. 1t was
a circular dot of about the apparent size OF
q star of the first magnitude. The group 10
the north was Of an irregular shape and re-
ssmbled two small pyramids, joined at their
bases. The ball, or dot was much more
perfectly defined and much darker than the
other, and its outline was sharp and dis
tinct The collection or group Of spots has
grown rapidly in size, since this day week
and will soon disappear, as the sun reyolyes
upon Its axis
A SCIENTIFIC OPINION.
Profyery, of the Allegheny observatory,
has been making telescope observations OF
this solar disturbance, and on being inter
viewed, on Saturday, said:
81 had a magnificent view Of il yesterday,
and il was one of the grandesG sights ever
beheld through the telescope. Probably
the first thing that would strike be.
holder Of this great spot would be q pair
Of nearly symmetrical parallel hlsments
curved to more than q semi-circle and aD-
parently dipping down az their extremities
below the general level, their points fading
out Of view gradually to the darkness OF the
central umbra There wss evidently at this
point q marked tendency 70 cy2lonic action,
and at several other points marked ten
dency TO the same could be observed. The
appearances indicated motions OF very
varied and violent character in many parts
Of the spot. Sheayes Of tangled tilamentS
curling around and everything each other
could be seen in confused masses; bridges
and other features Of large and remarka-
bic spot, such as the phenomenon called
honeycOmb structure, brilliant, resem-
bling facular masses, were displayed IN
pTOfusiOn."
Are the electrical disturbances OF the
last few days and nights attributable to the
spot on the sum-?
II should think it probable. AS the spot
nears the centre Of the solar disc, coming
in line with the earth and centre OF the
sun, the radial forces whether electrical or
otherwiSe) which are set in action by such
disturbance may produce in some as yet
unexplained manner the
ELECTRIcAL MAGNETIC STORMS
which appear upon the earth in strict CO.
Incidence with the solar manifestation"
as the earth likely to suffer any mater
ial injury from these phenomena
''The earth as q whole can but receive
benefit from the increased overflow OF solar
energy which goes on on occasions OF this
kind. These violent connections in the
sun are essential 10 the maintenance OF its
radiant power, whereby its dependent
worlds are preserved in the conditions that
are necessary for the existence of the life
upon them. But there may be local &C
tons of an uDfsvorable character. 1t is
derhaps possible that certain atmospheric
phenomena Of our earth which affect par
ticular regions only may be governed, at
least to some extent, by solar outbursts,
and may occasion local misfortunes which
are more than compensated for by the
benefits which are conferred upon the
earth as a whole"
THE CAUSES OF SPOTS.
What is the probable cause OF one Of
these spots?"
a.. .L.a-.r ~ =. .o,,,, - .,-o-., ,oIo. ,aok
is the Interchange between the cool matter
of the exterior layers and the intensely
heated substances of the deeper interior
layers The variations of temperature in a
vertical direction must be very great, and
must produce very large differences OF
density in the materials composing the
sun, tending therefore to produce powerful
ascending and descending currents, which
give rise TO these violent solar storms. The
of the central portion Of the spot
is produced merely by contrast or effect
of contrast. We see in the umbra
of the spot deeper layers of the
luminous matter of the sun, whose light
has suffered greater absorption than the
average. The central part of the spot is
believed to be a region of downward move
ment, the bright facular masses indicating
upheavals or ascending currents. Be-
tween the two there must be a region OF
changing character, and it is in this that
the greatest commOtion is manifested.
There is no means of predicting the proba-
bic duration of these spots. Sometimes they
last weeks, but generally only few days.
Only so long as it is in line with the earth
are We 10 expect the auroral phenomenon.
Its possible effect upon the earth is also de-
pendent upon the vigOr OF its changes,
which are subject to very great huctua'
tons"
THE COMET AND THE SPOTS.
do you think that the comet, or q por-
ton Of it, fell into the sun and knocked a
hole in it?''
'well, very briefly, the comet did not
fall into the sun, as you can see by getting
up early any fine morning, but apropoS OF
the question, there may be some indirect
action, but this solar spot is so much larger
than the comet as TO thoroughly dispose OF
that idea. The energies which are set In
action in a large sun spot are altogether
out of proportion 10 any forces which the
mere passage of the comet through the
solar atmosphere could produce. In the
track of every comet there is believed to be
q meteoric swarm, consisting OF compo'
nents of the comet left behind in previous
reYol utions. These meteOrs may continue
to pass through the suns atmosphere long
altcT tnelT pIluClpdA mas naue MS ptSSdSe,
and the distribution of their small bodies
being over much wider limits than the d.
mansions of the comet itself, it may we'll
be that large numbers of :hem are turned
from their course TO fall into the sun by
their arrested motion, and chemical
changes, produced by unusual solar actiV-
ity. This is given as a mere conjecture.
ard even il there had been no comet We
should have expected the spots for the
next year