Smyrna times., 1882-11-29
On the Brink of a Sun Chasm.

Since the great magnetic storm of
Friday 18th, and the brilliant auroral
display" said the astronomer to the
reporter on Monday, perhaps you
would like to look at the sun spot that
was probably at the bottom of all this
disturbance ?"
10 be sure l would" the reporter
replied; but do you mean to saw a
SIN spot caused the magnetic storm p"
Well, to be more accurate, perhars
should say that the causes which led
10 the formation of the sun spot also
produced the storm. 1t is impossible
70 partlcularize very closely in this
matter. What we do know is that
when sun spots are most numerous and
largest, then auroras and magnetic,
storms are most frequent and most
violent. This has been strikingly ex-
emplltied during the present wear: we
nave had two or three great magnetic
orms, and simultaneously with each
OF the storms sun spots of extraordinary
magnitude have been visible. caught
sight OF the present great spot Just
coming around the edge of the sun on
November 18th, and since then there
mas been more or less electric and
magnetic disturbance, eliminating in
the marvellous auroral outburst of last
Friday. | think this spot is identical
with the one which made its appear.
ance during the perihelion of the great
comet, but it has changed greatly in
appearance"
Then it is visible without a tele-
scope ?"
Easily. Smoke a piece of window
glass to protect the eye. and you can
see the great spot as a conspicuous
black dot on the sum-
1t must be very large"
Large! Enormous doesn't begin
to express it! Counting the whole
surface covered by the various nuclei
and the penumbral net in which tbev
appear to be entangled, it is not less
than 10000 miles long by 10000 miles
wide. Take all the continents and
Islands of the earth together. add tn
them all the oceans, and spread the
whole out fiat, and they would not
cover one-tweltth of the area included
in that tremendous cOngcrics of sun
chasms."
Let me see it," said the reporter. |
Don't keep me waiting
The astronomer laughed and pointed
the telescope at the sun. After the re-
porter had somewhat recovered from |
his astOnishment he began to ask |
questions.
80 those queerly shaped black spots |
are holes in the sun, are they?"
Yes, " replied the astronomer.
And what is the shadowy veil that
surrounds them?"
:" That is also a depression in the
suns surface, but not so deep as the
black holes"
What are the round ridges around
the spot ?"
Mountains of fire, or perhaps |
should rather say pillows, in comparison
with the size of which the Himalayas
or the Andes are rows of mere ant
hills"
What are those white, feathery-
looking points projecting here and
there over the chasms?'
Clouds in which iron and other
metals are floating in the form of
metallic vapor. What do you suppose
you would see if you could stand upon
one of those projecting points suspend
ed over a sun chasmP"
The reporter couldn't tell.
Let us make the absurd supposition !
that your body would not, in the :
part of second, be turned
into vapor," said the astronomer, land
let us also suppose that you could for /
an instant retain conscious existence {
amid the crash and roar of solar action. s
where the noise of the bursting of a 4
world into fragments would be indis- {
from the universal clangor.
and i will try to Vive uoal a nat;o,, ~ g