The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-08
A TYPICAL SUN SPOT.

and what it means to inhabitants Of
the earth and other planets are sub
jects Of contemplation, for students Of
astronomy. There are those who say
that sun spots portend violent storms
on earth.
There are others who persist that sun
spots mean no more to earth dwellers
than earthly ra{n drops do to the folks
Of Mars.
Spots Will Form a Trust.
What seems to be one large spot at
present is in reality about nine spots
and appears when observed with A
powerful instrument. Astronomers are
Of the opinion that these spots will con-
dense into two principal spots.
The width of the present sun spot is
$4,000 miles: its length. 123, 900 miles.
That means that its width is more than
seven times the diameter Of the earth.
and that its length is almost five times
the circumference Of the earth
A sun spot is a hole in the photo
sphere, or outer envelope, of the sun,
giving elimpses Of the interior.
Tt is not known whether tn holes
extend to the suns surface They may
be far removed from it.
sun spots are made up OF two parts
a darg. irregular central portion called
the penUmbra. which seems to partake
Of the brightness Of the sun and the
darkness of the umbra
Like a hole in a crust. like splOtch
of ink on a red surface, like a cat skin
nailed on a board, are some Of the
comparisons made by men who have
watched sun spots for years
The Chinese have long been students
Of sun spots. In 1897 all Europe
frfr F-T-F
days. tt was thought that the spot was
the shadow Of the planet Mercury.
With the discovery Of the telescope IN
160S9 sun spots made their formal de-
hut.
Tn 1S71-72 sun spots were visible TO
the naked eve. A sun spot with a di-
ameter Of $4,000 miles covered one
thirty-sixth Of the sun I'm 1853
Large spots were seen in 1928
Lost For Months in Succession.
Wac forming or when disappear
ing sun spots are irregular. The usual
life Of a spot is two or three months.
one lasted for eighteen months in 1870
81. Spots have been known TO divide.
After division the spots have replaced
each other.
The largest ones are said TO come
every ten years. Maunder Of Green
u
magnetic storms i'm the period between
1873 and 1892 came at the time Of the
greatest sun spot displays.
Tt is also said that another effect Of
sun spots is 10 make the weather cool
err by shutting off some OF the heat
Another writer IS recorder by Young
is his treatise on the sun as finding
a connection between Asiatic cholera
and SUN spots. This is ridiculed by
Young.
= Professor Jevons. who said that sun
spots Influenced financial crises, is
treated with more consideration. II
sun spots cause storms they can effect
financial affairs indirectly.
Professor Samuel J. Cook who has
observed the sun spot, IS Of the opin-
ion that fl is larger than the sun spot
OF ten years ago.
Like Professor Woodward of Wash
ington university he is unwilling to
declare positive belief i'm the effect OF
sun spots on the meteorological phe-
nomena OF the earth's environment.
IT think 81 is probable" said Pro-
fessor Cook. that the earth IS affected
by the disturbances Of the sun caused
by sun spots
If the waves of heat and light come
60 us from the sun. if 0IarConi can
send wireless kilograms across the At
lantic with an instrument that could
be placed I'm a piano box. it seems
plausible that disturbances Of the sun
could affect US.
1T Is positively known that sun
spots affect the magnetic needle. once
there was an observer that noticed that
at certain times the magnetic needle
was more affected than az others He
recorded these times. Another obeerv-
err Kept the record OF sun spots In
the course Of scientific conversation
they compared their work The times
OF disturbance OF the magnetic needle
and the appearance OF sun spots were
identical"