Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-22
4 New Theory of the solar system


Why do sun spots affect terrestrial mag
netism? Why do they show cycles Oh
eleven years? What Is the origin OF the
aurora borealis? why are double stars
so often OF contrasting or Complementary
colors? Why is AlgOl bright ana It's
Communion dark? Why do comets always
project their tails away from the sun
Where do they come from, and what Is
their permanent abiding place? what Is
the ultimate constitution or lnterste'lar
snacep Have the fixed stars planetary
systems like our own or not? what De-
comes Of the heat Of the sun that disap-
pears into space? why does the moon
always present the same race 10 the
earth? Why are there no visible traces
OF atmosphere or moisture In the moon
What is the basic principle OF the strahBe
empirical law of the ratio OF mean plane
tary distances 0, 3, 8. IL u. etc'-ai"aSS
plus I? -. 49,,
These be great questions, but they are
only a few Of the unsolved problems OF
astronomy which |. w. Heysnger under-
takes 10 answer in his suggestive book
'The Source and Mode of Solar Energy
Throughout the Universe" puDlished py
the ]. b. Lippincott Company. IL IS heeu-
less TO say that IL all, or the greater
mart. of his solution should ever De proven
To be correct, his book must he ranked
among the epoch-making works on
astronomy. but until that time IL must pe
classed among the popular ue"''seS
which serve rather TO stimulate inv
Imagination than TO contribute waterway
TO existing knowledge HOW Iar his
theories may correspond with recotueu
facts is a matter when must De "oIheu
ont I'm detail by specialists, but the
theories are certainly wonderful ana
striking on their own account, even WINE
tbev remain matters OF mere speculation
such as serious astronomers Sehsraiy
leave 10 amateurs and what they WIN
perhaps excessive disdain, refer 10 US
popular writers.
The one great theory on whicA Mr.. Hey
singers book Is based Is the proposition
that the sun and the planets together con
stitute an enormous electrical mat
with the sun as the negative ana tne
nlanets as the positive poles. IL TINS
theory be true. We have perpetual mo-
ton OF the same kind as that seen IN
tbe great processes Of nature, the fali
of rain and the suction Of the water again
into the clouds If the premises are once
GRANTED there Is no reason FOR assigning
any limit TO the duration OF the solar sy5-
tom. BY the ordinary theories or solar ac-
ton. on the contrary, no matter no"
long the sun may continue to give out lts
heat. il must inevitably end IN darhhess
and death Other systems may continue
for n time. and new worlds may spring
into existence, but for these too there
is the same fate In store, ana the trSbe
experiment must Inevitable end at last
like a rundown clock. This view Is Deau-
tifully expressed In Sheueys lyric i'Vi'i
"Helas":
Worlds on worlds are rolling ever
From creation to decay,
Like the bubbles on river
Sparkling bursting. borne away.
But with Mr.. Heysinger's theory the
divine plan IS not foredoomed 10 any
such failure. As the planets reVoiVe III
their orbits they steadily generate eiec'
trcity from the surrounding space-whlct
the author looks upon not as emptiness
but as occupied with INFINITELY IaIlIleu
aoueous yapors-and pour IT upon tbs
sun. which in turn sends II out again II
glorious waves OF life-giying light anc
heat. on account Of this unceasinB mag
netic exchange. the sun Is permanently
surrounded with flaming hydrogen gas
while I'm the dark planets oxygen predomi
mates. AS a corollary OF this proposition
II follows that every flaming sun mus
have surrounding IL a correlative dari
planetary system OF its own, ana ioi
the complement Of the glowing hydro
gen exists the corresponding supplement
OF cool oxygen for each OF the plane
tary bodies. In other words, without suci
a planetary system as ours, there can
no sun such as our own, and the othe
suns that We see.
The generation Of this electrical powe
| by the planets Mr.. Heysinger explains Of
| the theory OF induction by friction agdins
the envelope OF rarefled vapor. Its trans
mission 10 the sun over the 0VO,~V 0
| intervening miles he accounts for ON tn
theory that the resistance 10 electrica
currents in what is enormously Gale
empty space is relatively small. Ina
electrical currents OF enormous quantit
and high potential do actually pass be
tween the earth and the sun almost II
| stantly he endeavors TO prove by IN
| singular connection which has been foun
TO exist between sun spots and magnet
| storms on the earth. In 1873 TWO moe
| pendent observers saw a sudden DT1Bn
| light break out on the suns surface an
| travel across its disk at the rate .
several thousand miles minute. u wa
| afterward found that self-reglsterih
| magnetic instruments in another plac
had at precisely the same instant mao
| a strongly marked jerk. In Norway 10
telegraph machinery was set on IRE, an
the men IN telegraph stations In Washiht
ton and Philadelphia received strong ele'
trical shocks. AT night great aurora
were seen n both hemispheres and VIC
lent and far-sw eeping storms ioiio" 6,
The number OF such cases and the iae
that magnetic storms are most irequeu
In the years when sun spots are most IL
auently displayed furnish stronS cirCu'n
stantlal evidence In the race Oh SUI
phenomena as these. the authol
with Justice: I'VE can neither say t nH
the spots caused the magnetic s'.'Hl
nor that the magnetic storms eauseu VI
snots. We must seek for cause PR
ducIng at once both sets OF phenohleIla
The cause assigned for the sun spo,s =
this theory IS that the conjunction Oh w
p,anets or certain positions OF one 'H' .
nIone; NAV disturb the equilibrium =
not.ntlal between the sun and the piahe'
srv system. and an interruption OF re
ye,Sai current. causing violent erupuoh
IN the photosphere Of the sun u
IL IA impossible 20 r,@r 49,
singers theory In its application 10 w
hundreds OF disputed problems .sm
usIch only have been quoteu' Du' :" .
| worth while TO see gsw - - 80 a.
20 the moon. IN which We have spV ,,s
,n,arss. as our nearest neignpor, -
a,,,bor adopts the calculations OF 80
s'sar u.user. OF Gotha, who founa 'n"
L oil