The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-02-09
A SPOT ON TIE sun
Spot was Visible to the Naked Eye
Eye and Caused Alarm Among
the Superstitious.

Eye and Caused Alarm Among
the Superstitious.
Chicago, Feb. Chicagoans today
were startled by an immense spot on
the sun, covering one-tenth Of it's entire
visible surface.
Thousands were puzzled and anxious.
In all parts of the city crowds gathered
in the streets watching the great spot,
specializing and arguing as to it's cause
and effect. Astronomers at the Univer-
sity of Chicago and at Northwestern
and Lake Forest watched the phenome-
non through powerful glasses and de-
clared the spot one Of the largest ever
observed.
CAUSE FEAR AMONG sUpERsTITIoUS.
The spot caused fear and trembling
the levee districts, women and men
prayed and sang, believing the end of
the world was approaching and declar-
ingloudly that the sun was "going out"
The astronomers explained the phe-
nomenon was not unusual, but that this
was the first time the people of any city
ever had the opportunity of observing
it with the naked eye.
The atmosphere, smoky and heavy,
acted like a telescope lens and the spot
on the sun was as plainly visible to
those on the street as it is usually
through powerful telescopes.
The sun shone bright red through the
haze of smoke and fog and the rays were
SO ditfused that it was possible to look
upon the sun steadily and without pain
or injury to the eye.
The spot became visible within
short time after the sun rose and per-
sons hurrying to work observed what
seemed to be an ob1ong black spot near
the suns equator. The remainder pre-
sented a singularly smooth appearance
looking like the dull red of FURNISHED
copper.
The sun spot, according to astrono-
mers, will be visible again tomorrow,
possibly larger than today. Whether
the atmosphere will be as favorable for
observation as it was today they do not
know-but through the magic specta-
cles the spot can be observed to great
advantage.
PROF. MoULToN EXPLAINS SUN SPOTS.
Professor r. G. Moulton, of the de-
partment of astronomy, University of
Chicago, said:
"Sun spots appear periodically, being
most active every eleven or twelve
years. These sun spots are followed by
magnetic disturbances on the earth and
unusually brilliant displays of the au-
rora. They influence the weather only
toa slight extent, if any. Thee spots
mark violent storms, cyclonic disturb
ances, on the sun. The exact cause is
not known to science, but they are be-
lieyed to be caused by denser atmos-
pheres. Why they are periodic no one
knows.
The spot today is the largest since
1S92--and probably larger than that
one. Both occurred in February. This
spot is approximately 100000 miles in
diameter. The earth could be dropped
into it and never make bubble. There
are iron and calcium gases in the spot
and its heat is approximately 10000 ue-
grees Fahrenheit"
"This is one of the largest spots or
group of spots ever Observed" said
Professor E. b. Frost at the Yerkes OBJ
servatory, Lake Geneva. "We have
made some remarkable observations
both directly and with the camera, OBJ
tanning photographs of immense value
to science. Our chief aim, however, is
to use this spot as basis for studying
the tradition of the sun. In this we have
faint hope of being able to discover
more of it's composition.
"Since Saturday we have made numer-
GUS pictures showing the course of the
spot, it's growth and the light condi-
tions. The spot will be visible to us
for the next six or seven days and then
it will have been carried to the other
side of the sun.
"Ne&t month it is probable we shall
see the same spot again. 1t is unusual
for the same spot to remain in existence
through more than two revolutions of
the planet, though they have gone
as many as fifteen"
The spot exhibition is not the only
diversion the MS to offer mankind
this year, for August 80 there will be an
eclipse in which two-thirds of the sun S
face will be obscured. The eclipse will
{ begin at 4:40 a. NJ, and will end at
6:18:14, duration of one hour, forty
eight minutes and fourteen seconds
Leonites, however, will view it only one
hour, sixteen minutes and fourteen sec
onds, due to the fact that the sun will
not rise here till 5:14 a. M, the day OF
the eclipse.
There will be two eclipses of the
moon this year. The first will be visi-
BILE in the Philippine islands, February
1920. The second will be visible in the
United States on the evening Of August
IA and the morning of Aug. Is.
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