The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-16
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Solar Spots and Lunar Haloes-Have They
Any Connection?

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
AT o'clock yesterday a large spot APP
preached the central meridian of the sun.
To be strictly accurate, however, it was close
group of five black spots, but they were SO
together close that they were inclosed in one
penumbra, and looked like one large one
broken into several pieces, or divided by riffs.
1t has been ascertained by repeated obser-
Walton that when spots of their size come
near the central regions of the sun their
presence in that part of the disk is indicated
by electrical disturbances which reach the
EARTH Thus at the time of the great mag
netic storm, April 16, 1882, Mr.. G. NJ. Whip
pie, at Kew Observatory, England, saw "a
tremendous spot which appeared on the SUMS
disk first on the 18TH" and on the 18th was
rapidly approaching the central meridian,
and group observed on the 18th" appeared
to have undergone considerable change"
The remarkable electric storm of Sept l.
1859, was preceded by the appearance on the
some day, near a large spot on the suns disk,
OF two luminous Clouds much more brilliant
than the general surface of the sun, which
were seen by two independent observers,
Darlington and Hodgson, TO travel at the rate
of about seven thousand miles a minute
across the suns face.
On the 18th of November last large, close
group OF black spots were near the center of
tt e sun in the forenoon, and on that day Mr..
d. C. Hinsdill of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company's office in this city, informed
me they had been working their lines all the
forenoon by atmospheric electricity and did
not need their batteries at all.
The spot now nearly central on the sun is
not so large as the group seen on the 10th
and 18th of November, but has been ap-
parently increasing in size for several days
past, and measures, approximately 10000
miles across from east to west. There have
been no indications OF atmospheric electricity
during these days, but last night at $50 l
observed the most remarkable lunar halo l
ever saw or heard Of The halo was about
thirty degrees in diameter, and its lower rim
was suffused or mingled with a singular
grayish cloud. AT four points, nearly equi-
distant in the sides and toward the upper
arch of the halo, were what seemed to be
rectangular blocks of whittier and
d dsps Of material fba han sDd Gt To
these four blocks, long anceolate fingers OF
light, something like the streams that radiate
from the crown of the aurora. shot upward
to the zenith and far over into the eastern
sky, the moon being west, little more than
half way from the zenith to the horizon.
My wife observed it with me, and there could
be no mistake. The streamerS we're not ordi-
nary clouds, but lances of grayish light, that
occasionally became dim; and then grew
brighter again. The four bright blocks in
the halo somewhat resembled the nuclei of
the solar holo, called sun dogs and we both
spoke OF the resemblance at the time.
1t occurs to me, to day. that this lunar
halo may have been electric in its character,
and in some way related to or produced by
the electric energy of the sun. 1t certainly
was a beautiful, a wonderful sight, and the
coincidence of its apparition and the arrival
of large black spot at the central region of
the solar orb, I thought worthy making this
note of for your journal. C. 2. JACOBS.
Ian Is 1893