The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-02-25
Z SERIES, VOL. 1, NO. a..
SPOTS ON OLD SOL.
The Phenomena Which Have At
tracted General Attention.


for the past week have formed the theme
OF popular concern, of scientific study
and observation and of quaint specula-
ton as to what it is all about and this
query among very large and excitable
class has taken on much wider scope
since last Saturday evening, when that
remarkable electrical phenomenon, the
aurora borealis, flooded the northern
sky with it's glowing effulgcnce. The
newspapers have been filed with refiec.
lions upon the conjunction of celestial
events in the past fortnight, and many
enthusiasts there are who affect to see
in them signs and tokens tremendous in
the ir portent and certain to be followed
by commissions of physical life here upon
earth.
Lieutenant Totten is not at all back
ward in the expression of bis views that
the sun spots and the aurora and the
perihelion of the planets unite as pro-
phetic of the millennium that is to be
preceded by seismic and cyclonic dis.
turbances; these, he says, are designat-
ed in that expression of the Bible,
shaking the wicked out by laying hold
of the ends of the earth.n The New
Haven astronomer hasn't any doubt
that this world of ours is on the thresh>
hold of a period of trial. the like of which
has never before been seen, and his fol-
lowing includes fervent believers
throughout the land.
Up at the Central High School the
solar and electric phenomena have been
the subject of observation by Professor
Monroe B. Snyder, who has had the
students in the observatory each day.
Professor Snyder said yesterday that the
attempts to secure photographs of the
solar changes had been successful in the
measure allowed by the apparatus at
hand. The students have been deeply
interested in the results of the observa-
| tions The spot or spots rather, for the
original appears to have disintegrated
into number of smaller ones, will be
visible to-day, but not tomorrow.
From present aspects, Professor Sny-
der says, it is doubtful if the spot after
it passes off the western limb of the
sun will live through the two weeks
necessary for it to make its reappear-
ance on the east side, the rotation of the
sun upon its own axis occupying be>
tween twenty five and a half and TWEEN
six days, or twenty-eight days as we see
it, While il is possible that it may sur
vive the period, Professor Snyder does
not regard it is probable, and to-day's
observation will be as thorough as cir
cumstances permit.
The first appearance of the spot on
Old Soils disc, as noted at the High
School, was on Monday of last week.
1t was rema rkable for its size, and the
fact that it had three large umbr8, in
two of which evidences of rapid changes
could be detected. Scattered around in
the penumbra were dozen other small
dark nuclei forming altogether a most
remarkable group. On Tuesday the
spot had assumed heart shaped APP.
pearance, and later in the week great
changes were noted in the nuclei which
seemed to have broken up into a num-
Der of smaller spots.
1t need not be expected that these
solar changes and the aurora that have
combined to form the phenomena of the
week will be followed by any physical
disturbances. History does not furnish
any rational ground for any such as
sumption. The sphere is one in which
scientists speak very guardedly, said
Professor Snyder; but to such as have
no regulations to lose it forms field of
speculation in which they cannot be
readily Fcontradicted. 1t is altogether
possible that there may be a recurrence
of the aurora boreais, although it is
fact that it has been number of years
since the phenomenon has been wit
messed here
Professor Snyder said that the sun
spots, so called, are possibly due to q
condition of things where the cooler
elements of the sun are gathered. The
precise condition of affairs is not known,
but it is quite probable that the ele
ments there are at what might be called
the 6 critical state, peculiar to temper
allure and pressure. 1t is on account of
this fact that the spots are not imne-
diately engulfed but may persist for q
long while. "Of course said the as
tronomer, it is well-known that the
final word in regard to the composition
of sun spots has not been spoken, and
the causes are not sufficiently made out
for any one to presume that his theory
is going to be the adopted one
Asked as to whether any connection
existed between the solar disturbance
and the electrical changes, as manifest
ed in Saturdays brilliant aurora, Pro-
fessor Snyder said:
All the usual extravaganza presump-
tions aside, there is yet ample ground
for supposing that there is a relation be-
tween solar activity such as this large
spot manifests and the terrestrial auro-
ras. The definite relation of solar ac.
tivity with the variation in terrestrial
magnetism, both as regards time and in
tensity, has long since been made out
and established. More than this, the
sun has been shown in different nerds
ians to exercise a varying influence upon
the magnetic needle in such way as to
! permit the time of solar rotation to be
perhaps as accurately determined by
study of the variations of the Ceclina-
ton of the needle as by direct observe
ton of the sun spots themselves. Time
and again have the changes in the great
solar protuberances been shown to be
reflected in the changes of terrestrial
magnetism. These mean nothing more
than changes in the electrical condition
of the earth. Modern physics lave
shown very intimate relation between
light aud electricity insomuch that a
ray of light is by many regarded as an
electrical magnetic phenomenon.
There is curious fact in connection
with the sun that suggests itself right
here. 1t is that the polar streamers