New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-07
Sun SPOTS AND THE AURORA.


The magnificent auroral display in this part OF he
country on the evening OF the 10th ult calls genera
attention to the fact that the present year has been
remarkable for phenomena of this kind on the 18th
or February the whole heavens were III with an
aurora display for several hours after sunset Ana On
NAV IS the spectacle again seen, from O'Clock
in the evening until a. m. There nave been she~
display, on other evenings, but none OF euncens
brInancy to attract general attention. That thess
displays, so rare in this latitude, indicate some I'M
usual phenomena the surface of the sum- Is pretty
generally admitted But why this should be 50 u
As vet one Of the unsolved problems OF astronomy
Ali that Is known is that the force whatever IL L.
which produces the sO-caled spots In the sum- nh1
ences more or less the whole solar system IL me
Aurora Boreais is not a result OF the sun Spots
generally admitted to be in some way resultant
the SIMS activity but whether II Is electrical IN
character or due to uses utterly unknown 10 US
ia one Of the moot questions OF science
II is perhaps worth noting that during the last su
montbs there have been a number OF cataclysms on
the earth A populous island in the Malay Archipelago
has suddenly and mysterfOusly sunk into the sea-
The island Of Sandr has been torn up by errho
volcanic eruption, which caused great loss Of hfc'
Mount Eina has been in state OF Violent erupuoh'
the shocks being felt far rs syracuse fifty miles
distant And even fla the United states there have
been n large number OF destructive tornadoes Is
there any relation between these phenomena ana inc
fact that the has been alomst Covered Win spo's'
II l. easy enough to answer this question In one way
or the other but impossible TO give any reason lot such
an answer All We know at present Is that botn
the sun and the earth in n state Of unusua ac-
tyitv. But while our knowledge Is limited II Is
oasv enough 10 construct theories. And the theory
that the sun has a much greater and more direct IN
nuence on the earth than scientists have mthero
supposed IS at once popular and plausible In regard
to the sun spots. It is known that they occur IN
periods Of about eleven years though 1t Is not Known
why this should be lt Is also known 'haI "
present we are passing through such period winch
Will probably last for several months more Ana
has been observed for about sixty or seventy years
that the aurora displays are always greatest Wheh
tho spo,s on the sun are at their maximum These
ale the facts which. I'm the absence OF any certain
knowledge on the subject. may be explained by esa
individual 10 suit himself.
As 70 the aurora, the mot popular explanation
is thu. it is electrical and proceeds from the sun.
Another Theory Is that il Is due to nsbulous matter
cr,aily rarihed Ordinarily this matter floats IN ms
.nt.rplanetnry spaces. and is not then visible. b''
occasionally some OF Il comes in contact with Tho
upper atmosphere q the earth. and becomes luminous
by friction. These two theories agree IN one P"o''
namely that the aurora Is a terrestrial ana MOI
celestial phenomenon. its height above tho efl oeins
pc,lably 400 800 miles. though some in"'n'a,n
,ha, the aurcal clouds occasionally approach WITHIN
deal NAV be said In favor Of each OF these theories
th.y leave much TO be explained. They do no'
account for the apparent connection between ne
aurora and disturbances on the sun ana u''' Nv
not indicate why l. most fre:~n V Observed ~ we
,,ro mocr.iic u,olcs of the earth. for though we
do not generally know H. here i an Nuror' ->"'''~
as we'll rs Aurora Borcali'
During the present century there have been sons
remarkable auroral displays on september s. i-'"'
sep,ember % ls4l. and November II. ls4o. displays
,,sro observed simultaneously large portion "
IN. globe Tho display OF August -. 1882 was seen
over obout 40 degrees Of longitude, from CaltorhA
in Eastern Europe. On september 2, OF the samc
wear there was fine display. visible in North America
and Europe At the same tnr an aurora An''Fahs
WAS observed in south America and New-fioland' !"
the winter Of 1859 there wa, display In View Eng
land so brilliant that ordinary print could DC feaa
hy ITS Light On May 49, Of the same year. there Nm
a noteworthy display In Paris which WAS for'Ia.o
enough TO aave two other III ~ "e S, tbe smc
wear there were fine displays. The dlsPaN omn4
The last month generally Observed aa
has been fully described, mat II Is unneces>afs
were numerous displays in the sixteenth century any
few in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries W
a. was not until the present century that any senous
attempt was made to study the aurora The mos.
favorable latitude for the observation ~ the hur",s
porealis. Is between rs and ~ degrees north N
spme plnces within this territory the lights A
visible nearly every night. 4 spectrum analysis "
the nuroral clouds gives only negative result, a.
shows that they composed Of substances unknown
namely. that the auroral cloud, arc composed ~ 1s
same substance a. the suns corona. Altogether
NAV he said that stence. which has made 10 mucn
advance IN other fields Of investigation has dcns
almost nothing to clear up the mystery that Low
cnvelops the Aurora Boreals and its presumed con-
nection with the internal economy of the SUM-