The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-04
The SUMS CYCLONES.
Disturba noes of the Solar Atmosphere the
Causa of SIM Spots.


Cause of Sun Spots.
Prof. Searle's lecture at the Cathollc
University on the physical constitution
of the sun gave some interesting ln1or-
nation respecting the sun spots. GALL
leo. he said, first saw the sun spots with
the telescope. Sometimes they can De
seen with the naked eye as the sun Is
setting, but only rarely. If we take an
ordinary opera-glass taking care to pro-
tect our eyes with piece of smoked
glass, it is probable that we can see one
or two at almost any time.
The spots are com posed of a dark por-
ton called the umbra, and surround
ing lighter portion called the penum-
bra. They are irregular in shape and
not round, as they would appear through
the opera-glass. If we look through the
telescope on two successive days we will
see that the spots have changed their
size and position. They are sometimes
smaller and sometimes larger, and it
often happens that new ones have APP
reared that we did not see before. But
it will be found that all have moved
COnSiu0rdDly W Gu0 LIZ He, "ileA ohio Wiz
be very noticeable every day.
1t takes spot on an average about
twelve and one-half days to cross over
from one side to the other. They seem
to move slowly near the edges and more
rapidly as they reach the sun. In the
center they appear broader and more
round than at the edges, where they
are foreshortened and become elliptical.
From these and other facts we conclude
that the sun is, like the earth, a globe
revolving around central axis, but it
takes the sun twenty-five days to make
a revolution. Sometimes the spot that
we have already observed will reappear
at the end of twenty-five days from its
first appearance, but ordinarily they do
not live as long as that. The spots are
found to occur only in belt each side
of the equator. They are in continual
state of flux and change, not only in
themselves, but in relation to each
other. They seem like the clouds ip
our air. The penumbra consists of rays
or cylinders radiating from the umbra,
Not only do the spots become elliptica]
as they approach the edge, but the UNI
bra is noticed to approach the inner side
of the spot and sometimes to disappear.
Often there is a spiral arrangement
of the rays as they approach indicat-
ing whirlpool motion. The whole
character of the umbra indicates that
they are holes into which the surround
ing water is being drawn with wild
velocity. 1t is supposed that the
bright surface Of the sun which we see
is a luminous cloudy envelope or gas
eOus atmosphere, and that the spots are
centers of tremendous solar cyclones
compared with which the widest tor
nadOes that visit our earth are no more
than the slightest breathings of child.
A velocity has been observed in their
movement as great as $50 miles a Sec
Ond. When we consider the very enOr-
NOUS masses Of matter, sometimes ten
Or even 100 times as great as the whole
mass of the earth, which are projected
upward in that way or thrown to one
side or the other Or thrust down into
the great cavities this awful manifesto
ton Of power gives us better idea of
what such velocity means and of the
tremendous forces which work in it's
production.
There is still some dispute about the
periodicity of the spots. The extraor-
binary weather this winter has been
supposed TO be due to the absence of
sun spots, but it is doubtful if any real
connection could be demonstrated.
Every eleven years there is time when
we have maximum of sun spots, and
half way between there is minimum
OF spots. This recurrence OF periods of
activity has been remarked ever since
the spots have been under observation.
Undoubtedly the spots have some con-
nection with the magnetic phenomena
of the earth, and especially with the au-
rora, and through these they may have
some connection with the weather.
Washington Star