Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03
A MIGHTY SOLAR ourBURsr.
Prof. Hale's Explanation OF . stupsnd.ux
Commotion.

From the ST. Louis Globe-Demo-rat
CHICAGO, H., Aug. 5.--Strange things bsve
happened on the face Of the sun. volcano
putting great volumes Of vapor, burst in he
immediate neighborhood Of an active group Of
spots nearly at the edge. For almost two hours
the men with long telescopes were unabls to
see the black blotches of shadow. This voloano
was OF enormous size. and the vapors which il
according TO measurement.
Perhaps the story of the volcano Is best told
by Prof. Hale Of the Kenwood Observatory in
Chicago. Prof Hale took the only photographs
made anywhere of the phenomenon with his
recently invented spectro-heliogrnI Nothing
OF like character has ever been recorded The
photographs taken were made part of i'm
portant record
The particular disturbance which occurred
in these sports that Friday" said Prof. Hale
''was shown by the spectro-heliog-aph. The
first was taken at IL 0l an, and shows the
spots in normal condition, almost of the
edge OF the sun. and only two of the most i'm
portant showing at all. The next was taken
at IL :l3 O'Clock. and at this time there had ap-
peared a great hook-shaped streamer. VIII h
hid from view the lower black spot Of the two
The photographs were not being developed
rapidly, as the pictures were being taken in
the ordinary record of the day, and we knew
nothing Of the disturbance until it was pfsc-
tically over. So il happened that No 8
not taken for twenty-seven minutes afterwerd.
at IL 40 O'Clock. By this time the entire spot
was hidden from view. and the mass that foat-d
over il was brilliant in the extreme. IL COW
cred, according TO our measurement, fally
1000. 900 900 square miles in area An hour
later the eruption had settled down. the vaTors
had passed away. and the group Of spots looked
as IL did before the eruption
1--WE were convinced by the disappearance
ay.1 % fka sh.~ ~.
matter we saw above the surface of the
sun, though the volcano was probably hidden
pretty snuely under the edge of the northern
spot. The result should have been felt all over
the world at the same time, but, 30 far We
have been able to learn the first molcstafion
of the local elements was on the next day, when
the great electric storm occurred, followed by
one of the most brilliant auroras that Was over
witnessed in this latitude.
AN exactly parallel case has never been re-
corded, though q somewhat similar one vas
noted by Darlington on September I. 1853. He
was watching a sun spot, when be Jaw two
brilliant objects shaped like half moons move
from one side Of the group TO the other. These
were comparatively small, for the area covered
was only about 80 900 square miles. Again. in
1881, Trouvelot saw an outbreak near the edge
OF the sun from his observatory near Paris
Nothing was obscured, however, and the e,scns
OF the eruption was only conjecture.
I'm the phenomenon Just noted We we're
able to tell not only its magnitude, but What
the matter wal made Of. II was mostly cal
cium vapor and hydrogen gas. vapof Of
magnesium. sodium and probably iron we're
mingled more or less with the erupted nass
that hoated away across the spots. At the
time We were looking down into the crsser
on the sun, much a. We might look INTO
vesuvius in active operation were we 10 take .
balloon and foat above the volcano. the differ
ence, of course being that instead Of seeing e-ses
we would look at red-hot liquid and ashes
that later would settle back 70 the surface Of
the earth in lava and dust. So in the sun the
vapors settled down and We we're permitted 10
sse the spots again"