Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-26

rngton and Hod gson, darting across the spot Of
| 1859. and which seemed TO be signal tor the
| outbreak OF the magnetic storm that followed.
" Another drawing represents the spot
as 1t appeared on the 18th, the
day after the great magnetic storm. Evil
dences OF cyclonic motion are still, perhaps,
visible, though they are rather suggested by Q
comparison OF the appearance OF the spot with
that shown In the first figure than by any clear
| Indications In the figure itself unconnected with
the other one. The roundish. nuclear mass
near the center suggested by its form awhirlpool.
like motion, but II Is difficult on that hypothesis
to account for long. straight channel connect
| ing II with an oblong figure on the right The
peculiar crooked figure seen In the lower part OF
the frst picture has, apparently broken UP into
several fragments but this by itself Ii not incon.
sistent with the theory of an eddying motion.
"A third drawing represents the appear
| ance OF the spot on November 18th. auroras
and magnetic disturbances having In the mean
| time continued. Still further changes had
taken place. and the lower portion OF the spot
| showed tendency to separate from the larger
mass above-a phenomenon that IL OF not un-
frequent occurrence.
II dnd, BY reference TO my notebook. that
| other changes were visible on the Goth but I'M
| fortunately L was prevented from sketching
| them. After that. unfavorable weather. and
other Interruptions. prevented me frora sketch.
ing the spot, but the sketches that were made
cover the period during which the most remark.
able changes occurred, as well Is that Of tho
greatest magnetic disturbances.
"sPor" 60 900 MILES LoNa.
"ln order TO obtain clear notion OF the tre-
mendous forces Involved In the changes repre-
scented In the drawings, It 10 necessary to con.
slider the enormous size Of the spot as measured
In square miles. Counting the whole area GOV.
cred by the various nuclei and the penumbrsl
depression surrounding them, the spot was not
less than &C, 600 miles long and 600 miles
Wide. In other words. 1t covered 2. 40o, 000, 900
square miles OF the solar surface The area OF
the whole surface Of the earth, land aud sea, 10
less than 200 900 900 square miles so that If the
crust OF the earth had been peeled of like the
skin OF an orange, spread out fiat and plastered
against the sun. 1t would have looked like q
mere outlying patch beside the great congeries
OF sun chasms constituting this gigantic spot.
Masses OF gaseous matter, many times greater
than the earth In volume. must have been
hurled and whir1ed about there with tremend-
GUS velocity In order to produce the changes
which the telescope sevealed. Millions descrip-
ton or the battling elements OF chaos through
which Satan fought his way, will apply, though
inadequately to the scenes OF chaotic fury OF
which a sun spot is the theater.
THE BLACK EYE THE COMET GAVE THE sun.
"a very remarkable spot which, because 10
made Its appearance at about the time the great
comet was In perihelion, In September last, and
broke out on the portion OF the solar globe
NhiOu "eS ucaicSt w INC COiutl NJ tlfIet
has been fancifully called the black eye that
the comet gave the SUM- There were other
spots visible at the same time and they also
were ascribed by some to the influence OF tho
comet. Some plausible reasons have been
shown In favor OF this view, and Prof Kirk
woods opinion that the great sun-spots Of June
1S43, were cansed by the large comet OF that
year has been freely quoted In support OF II. or
course the question whether this particular
spot and its companions originated In aome dis
| turbance caused by the comet, whether 10y the
| fall OF meteOric masses following In the comets
track or otherwise, can not be settled either
| way by positive evidence at present But.
while there are improbablties I'm the way of the
hypothesis, 1t may. at least be said that II any
comet could produce Q sun-spot without actu-
ally tumbling into the sun ITSELF the comet Of
| last year ought to have been able TO do Il, for,
| as Is known, 1t almost brushed the sun In It's
perihelon swing.
THIS GREAT SPOT.
however, Is interesting on another account On
October LIST 1t had reached about its greatest de-
| velopment. On October Cd there was mag
| netic storm which was felt principally In Eu-
rope. The storm was very much less severe in
Its effects upon the telegraphs than those Of
April and November but II was accompanied by
the appearance throughout England. Scotland
and western Europe of most beautiful aurora.
In conclusion. it may be said while the evidence
furnished by the great magnetic storms or last
wear was hardly needed 10 complete the chain
OF proof or the Intimate connection between
| Solar outbursts and the magnetic conditions
prevailing upon our globe, yet this evidence was
| OF such striking character that IL must rank
| among the most Interesting OF all that bears
upon this question. 1t IT, perhaps, worthy Of
remark that the period Of sun-spot maximum
through which We have just been passing has
also furnished a good deal OF evidence 10 favor
OF the views OF those who think O connection
can De traced between sun-spots and the
weather. 1t is only necessary TO point to the
facts that 1881 and 1882, well asthe beginning
OF 1888, have been remarkable for cyclones tor
nadoes, storms and floods. and that coincl-
IDENTITY with these meteorological disturbances
huge spots and other evidences OF commotion
have appeared In the sun. Here is q splendid
field for investigation"