, 1905-02-13
MANY SPOTS
ON THE SUN
ONE OF THE LARGEST COMPACT
GROUPS EVER OBSERVED Is
NOW VISIBLE IN GLASS.
Spot Group Composed Of Two Large
Spots to Which Are Attached a
Host Of Small Ones-Phenomena
Thought to Precede Several Mag
netic Storms On the Earth.

$1,000 nv N'NN VI IN . ia1Sy Gays
the Denver Republican of Sunday. On
Thursday, Feb. 2, it Vas seer through
the clouds, with a surveyors transit.
at University hall, University park.
No satisfactory view could be obtain
eG because of the myriads of ice spicu
lac with which the atmosphere above
Denver seemed to be loaded. But at
. p. m. on Friday, Feb. 3, the object
was viewed for a while, despite drift
ing haze, by Miss Alice Benton ami
Walter NJ. Hamilton, students of the
University of Denver, with the 6inch
telescope of the students observatory.
The spot-group was seen to be com
attached a host of small ones, all be-
ing apparently connected together by
a lace like structure which exhibited
a bewildering variety of detail. The
group roughly was half as broad as
it was long. The length vas estimated
to be about one tenth of the apparent
IhiuiiI't'l VI liz sun Nv tllG SloN
group was nearly central on the suns
face, its length was thus approximately
so 1000 miles. which is over eleven times
the diameter of the earth. The area
of the group is so large that about so
globes as big as the earth could stand
upon it, like so many marbles in a
la ,n1b an "a Euttra IN n nnpy,nt \Nhiln
the group was being observed a pic
ture of it was projected IN a paper
screen held at various distances from
the eyepiece of the telescope. By this
method was discovered a change in
the largest spot. When this object was
being viewed directly there projected
over the darkest portion of 1t a short
tongue of whitish matter. But a few
minutes afterward, when the picture
was being studied on the screen, there
appeared not only this tongue of light.
but also a neighboring tongue which
was smaller and just beginning to
thrust itself out over the spot.
Yesterday morning, Feb. A, the spot
group was observed through a break
in the clouds and was well seen, the
atmosphere being quite steady. There
were then three pretty large spots in
a row, touching each other; two OF
them were the two largest seen on Fri
day. These were b%ordered on the north
a 80 Anr h- M IL, ly.a
area in which were counted over SO
small spots. The entire structure was
SO intricate and v%ariously shaded that
it was a hopeless task to make a draw.
ing of it.
There is not much doubt that during
the next few days there will be changes
on an enormous scale in this very in
teresting solar storm. The spot group
will be photographed at those obser
vatories which make a special study
OF solar phenomena, and measurements
of various sorts will be made. The
spectroscope will be freely used.
The whole may be seen through a
smoked glass or any co!ored glass OF
sufficient density to make the sun quite
faint. In a week it will have passed
off the edge of the sun, to remain in,
visible for two weeks, while on the
other side of the sun from us. What
changes it may undergo during this
interval it is impossible to say; but
- g., .,1y,oI1n that tbD sn1,r ,tNrp, yril
diminish in fury, and the size of the
spot group be lessened.
In February, 1892. there vas a mag.
niicent group, 100000 miles long. The
central spot of thai group was of prac.
ltically the same size and shape as the
entire spot group nov visible. The
gloup of IS years ago is noteworthy in
Astronomical annals because of the
great magnetic storm which occurred
on the earth at the same time. The
storm ragged most fiercely when the
group had attained its maximum size,
covering n three hundred and fftieth
of the total visible hemisphere of the
sui. FlHe duIOIdS ldSueu oul- lHe
needles of magnetic recording instru
ments were violently disturbed. Earth
currents Of animated power played
tricks on telegraph lines. A sleeping
operator in France a awakened by
one of them which rang a signal bell.
An English astronomer has recently
Investigated the relation between sun
spots and magnetic storms, and shown
that each of the 10 greatest storms
which occurred during a period Of 80
years took place when a great sun
spot was near the center of the suns
disc, or when the same spot, in an an
feebled state, was brought around by
the suns relation to the same position
on the suns face again. He has lately
succeeded in showing by an exhaus-
tive study of terrestrial magnetic
storms that they have a marked ten
dency to occur when active definite
meridians of the sur are in the center
OF his visible face.
Possibly the present spot group may
be accompanied by magnetic disturb
ances of which we shall zeal later.
Postmaster Hoyt of Cheyenne has
90 ohnrrNI ~ -ohol1o. 81 .---l1.,