Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-03
SEEN IN OCTOBER SKIES.

rh. g. ,,h nj. Hallov spots--0pe of
~. &c.,. r.-..
LUG" "o"1
Morning Stars and doWInes ekip Aooa'
Distances that Reach Billions-A split
Genes,
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.l
LARGE sun-spot eroup is visible on the solar
d,si, .+ nrosent This Ia somethinp rather un-
nsnai @ as the solar spots are periodic. there be-
ins Inc greasess nu 49,, ea,,oa In
- snoso 1000 AI;S,,,r ha.wssn tba mar;ma
montbs m mav mass without a single SPOT showing
itse1f and a Iaroe oroun is rare. The group
now visible is near the western edge of the
disk, not far from the equatorial line, and will
be carried out of sight in few days (if it does
not cease to exist before that time) by the SUMS
rotation.
As is probably known. the sun rotates on its
axis like the earth, except that it takes the sun
about 2611 days to complete q revolution. Inc
time is not very accurately known, because It
must be determined by watching the spots, and
observing how long it takes any given spot to
complete whole revolution, or certain part
Oh one.
Somewhat ParadoxicuI.
II nacessarv to assume that the snot travels
.voo@ly ~ ASose a. W ~ s -" - -.
90 Iae. as ,ne wnoie pouy " sno pun uoo,, anu
motion Of ,ts own over the sun,s snrface for a
spot near the equator is seen to rotate about
once in 25 days, while one near latitude 45o re-
quires about Is days. The anoients thought the
sun was large mass OF molten metal. and tne
eponeh TO be Yssbe 10 tbs nnassisted eve1
were Impurities floating on the surface They
are now known to be simply openings In the
ososPheIe, tne iuniinoue snseiope ~ sno sun' i
os tIis fant 1 otchner
snot no ~ s,tars ,,,o,, az iosyos tha sn5,s disf
80 - o- soi' upo'i " -o''e' 'A' '1A 1>'
The Big, Hollow spot
The largest spot on the group now visible,
for example will he seen to be made nm of a
d.rI- oo,,t-a, --.;s ..,,oa a. s.r,r,k..
N".A Sen'iAi pots oaiiou sno uupie,
and lighter portion surrounding 1t called the
''penumbra." Now, as the spot approaches the
edge of the disk it will be seen foreshortened,
and the penumbra on the side nearest the GEN.
tar Mill ha,o,,, .-ro,ror 81 - +ho .o,,o +i,,o
.u W." Do.oe nav"e.' "a. .sS sS 'Su sao nN ...o
until finally the umbra, which is the deepest
yie gSruon thi 81 tne CAVITY viii pe e1taey IoSt 70
on the side fartbest from the Center of the
disk, which is the far side of the hole. This
hole now is so large that there would be room
TO drop several OF our earths into 1t.
of 1e me suns ap&Rar1eons & 1o aiameter on sne @ iosn
the earth 92 04O 600 miles.
nj
Heei MERCURY anu otuer Stars'
Mercury reaches his greatest angular dis
tance west of the sun on the 3lst of tna month
He ia then 1eo lor ,,as+ ~ .ha s,, - 90,
ha,,-S 80 " e SsH' ~. .iSes o'e
noui anu 20 minutes oeIore MN IN tne morn
ing, long enough to give the jealous young
astronomer a good look at him If he is willing
to rise at or 5.o0 IN the uorrino Ha will he
visib,o g. .o.saa, sro,,. :, -. =.
.ha,,. 40" aesrees apove 'ne sunlise poins s az
@ aoous o1U uuling the last lew Gays OF tne
I. tonn. Inc aisk VIII De ABOUT the nalI-moon
PIIaaoe, ano 90 IN ulameter.
venus is still a conspicuous object in the
morning sky. She rises about o'clock, and Is
the last star to disappear before the approach
onetSrd o. hr;abt HourS M @ ,a as S1e h aD6as out
best; her apparent diameter is l23b. and the
phase nearly tull
Mars is now not far from Venus. being. on
,ast .ne t'.a u tne monln apout " west py north
brightness HIS arTsroDt ~ d;a uca ~ W in
Jupiter ana More Distaat Ones.
Jupiter still holds the palm. shining unriy-
aled in tho southvestarr CIV 4; +no COLI
ovon;nr, hr, ~ :, - - -o 90!
-.l,.,,, s, ouc ne 70 mauins' anu III t"o or Inree
iiiohsns VIII Dc swallowed up In the beams OF
the sun, to be seen no more until he emerges
on the western side of tba sun az ynorniro star
..iIIa. .,n.n sio.i 10 0O anu ne 10 III Tue
0ons.eilstion ~ SaelItaT1us, or tne Archer.
osseei 10 getIng into goou position Ior oD-
set sa.ion' rising IN tne morning ABOUT 70 min
utes carrier every week. he Is In the constel-
Iati0n Leo, near the leading star OF that con-
stelIsIlon, hegulus Near the frst of the
montn ne Is only y east OF Regulus, and moves