The Indianapolis journal., 1884-01-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
sun-spots. Planets, Stars and Comet.

Sm-SpOts, Planets, Stars and Comet.
, To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
The curious phenomena known as spots on the
sun display as much singularity as they invite
avattentien from the observer. Sometimes large
ng group Of fifty spots is very prominent.
Ie4The least ones visible in the telescope, seeming
ss as large the head of pin grain of wheat,
ne are probably about 300 to 500 miles in diameter
re But many of the spots are the size Of peas and
~ ~ larger-1, 600 or 1000 miles across-while one
rs or two spots may appear as big as a walnut, or
's, even larger. This latter quite likely might be
y seen with the naked eye, protected by shade
s. glass. 1t would be at least about 10000 miles
ay across Occasionally a sun-spot reaches the
enormous size of 80 600 or 30 600 miles in diane
ey ter 1t is easy to perceive that such spot or
nd opening, which they supposed to be, might
le swallow our whole world and then not be near
os full. Such group the one just described,
id except the occasional very large spots was OBJ
e- served near the suns center Dee. 26. The
: great central spot easily seen without any
g telescope, and probably full 10 900 miles long
"a and 5000 wide. These spets are frequently of a
Il circular form, though some are nearly square,
v; and others triangular; while all Of them are
T. more less irregular in outline; and very sell
e' dom if ever quite alike two successive days.
a
n in a few hours A large spot is apt TO break
II upinto three or four smaller ones i'll few days
ei after attaining its full size These extensive and
81 uncertain changes is what make the observation
,, of solar spots of continual interest On Bee. %
Il counted 125 spots. The large is still vis
). Bile without telescope; but when magnifed ten
$ thousand times rift channel is seen from
g center to edge about ), 900 miles.
> The planet Venus is prominent evening
q star in southwest visible in twilight. Mercury
is about half an hour below Venus-not near so
. bright, though it can be seen with naked eye a
o spell before dark 1t sets about 6clo. An opera
glass is a good instrument for finding easily an
object which is rather difficult for the naked eye
!. in early evening, say at 8 O'Clock, the eastern
sky presents splendid row of fine stars, having
the Pleiades group in the upper end about three
, hours east of meridian-that is, the seven-stars
, south at 8 o'clock. Next below is Saturn, the
fine silvery planet then, nearly as far is Aide
barren in the big A. The next bright star is
Betelgense, an hour high 1t marks the north
3 ern confines of Orion The grand belt or Ell
z and Yard is ten degrees south. just to the right
of the lower star in this belt may be found
the great Nebula of Orion, visible
in a py-glass, and grand through a telescope.
Rigel is the brightest star south of the belt. The
brilliant dog-star, Sirius, rises III the southeast
4 about P NJ. Near the same moment Procyon,
We lesser dOg-star, rises nearly due east Jupiter.
further north, is brilliant. See what pretty
Il row it makes, with the twin stars. Castor and
Z Pollux an hour above it. The beehive cluster,
so pretty through spy glass, is just below Jupi
! ter. Soon after s. Mars will show itself in the
horizon. a little south of the row formed by the
Giant and the Twins. PrOlonging this row away
up toward the zenith, we come to the bright star
! Capella. It may always be known by slender
triangle of three small stars nearly south. Men
kllina is fine star 12o east of Capella The con-
stellat:on PcrSeus, having Algenil for its BRIGHT
central star, is 50 north of the zenith at p. NJ
4 Halfway from there to the north point we find
CNn0sqra, or PelaTds, the great northern guide
of the world. Below the pole star trace the
Little Dipper. Over east is the Great Dipper, in
1Ursa Major. Opposite this. and nearly as far
oeyond the pole Cassiopeia is mounted in regal
state. II is two or three hours nearly northwest
from Perseus. Now pick out Alpha Lyrse the
! brightest star in the northwest bearing north
There are two little stars close above it, the
three making neat little triangle. Look for the
Great Cross III Cygnus. an hour or two above and
TO the left of Alpha I.yr5e. The shorter of
the cross is known by row Of three
stars nearly north and south, and the
longer arm by bright star just above,
the middle star of the short ann, and another
stsr e-gar- below and not so bright. This lower
star is just above line. and nearly midway,
from Alpha Lyrie to Affair bright star be
tween two smaller ones that set Just north of the
west point about P. The square of Pegasus
passes the meridian about TO P. NJ and win
be recognized little southwest of zenith at 6.
Three bright stars extending from it northeast
mark out Andromeda. The furthest one is in the
{e zenith at ZIG
Now for the comet. During the third week in
December its course was below, but very near,
the short arm Of the Cross in CygnuS. and pafal-
lei with it. Moving southerly, it passed Zeta
and 8lu in Cygnus December 2S, being some
what to the left of Zeta at P. NJ. and nearly as
bright to the naked eye. No tail was visible
without telescope. But spygass showed
I slight appendage extending npward-opposite
the sun. In the six foot telescope the tail was
one degree in length The head, OF envelope,
very fine and bright. The central nucleus
was like a brilliant star. surrounded bya most
Beautiful crown of light whose diameter was
TO, or one-third that of the moon when full Its
right ascension was q hours. II minutes; decIi-
11atin oh lTlao Win bo
very near the star Chi of Pegasus; right aseen-
sion, 81 hours, 40 minutes; declnation PAP Its
course will then be Alone as to bright stars. for
several days; moving somewhat toward Markal,
in the southwest corner of the square of Pc
gasus. w. DAWSON.
SPIcELAND Dec 81.