Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-06

planets they record the effects on the
sun. Hence we have sun spots, and
when there are spots on the sun there
is reaction upon the planets.
AS soon as the sun spots become Wis
ible we note magnetic disturbances on
the earth, and this is very apt to usher
in a period of violent storm, earth
quakes and other disturbances.
IF the equinox of our own planet is
powerful enough to give us periods Of
violent storms it must make its effects
felt proportionately to the earth's mass
upon the sun.
The equinox of Jupiter should be felt
not only upon the sun, but in a reac-
tionary way throughout the whole
planetary system proportiCnately TO
the mass of Jupiter, which you know
is very great If the equinoxes of these
two planets give direct evidence of
their impress upon our great sea of
force, why should not the equinoxes of
the other planets have similar effects
each in proportion to it's mass?
Can Safely Predict
And when two or three of these hap
pen along with their equinoxes is it not
reasonable to infer that the disturb
ance would represent their joint
energy?
Here you have the gist of the plane
tary system of meteorology.
You see it leads into a broad field of
research.
You understand now why meteorol-
ogy, the youngest of the sciences, sits at
the feet of astronomy, the oldest, gain
ing wisdom. You can see how this sys-
tenn, If verified by long experience and
amplified by thorough understanding
would raise the science of meteorology
to one of the grandest within the grasp
of mankind.
LAS. our periods of atmospheric dis
turbance are dependent upon the per-
turbing effects of the planets and as
the movements of the planets and other
perturbations are calculated by as
tronomy thousands of years in the fu-
ture, so 1t will be possible to calculate
terrestrial disturbance
When this is done, we may know, not
a day in advance but a month in ad-
vance, or a year in advance what kind
OF weather we are going to have.
I'VE may even put our finger upon a
date, year, or ten years, or a hun
dred years, or a thousand years in
the future, and say, with reasonable
certainty, that that year will be one Of
hurricanes and tornados and floods
and violent cold and earthquakes.
Simple Question of Calculation
And why shouldn't we? Astronomy
is able to tell us what the position of a
planet. millions of miles distant from
our sphere will be a thousand years
hence. We do not sneer at this and cali
it humbug.
1t is simply matter of calculation,
and we place confidence enough in our
astronomers to believe that they can
calculate it accurately. They have
done so thousand times. Now
If the forecasts of meteOrology can be
placed on the same accurate basis why
should we not be able to cast our vision
into the future and tell what will hap
pen to this little earth of ours?
The accompanying chart is designed
TO give something of the provision
which l have outlined to you.
1t represents the occurrence of the
equinoXes of the five planets, Mercury,
Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Sat
urn, from August Z, 1892, to February /.
1922, a period Of 20 years and LAT DAYS.
This period is one year-one revolu-
ton about the sun-of the planet
Saturn, the furthest exterior that |
nave taken into the calculation. The
outer circle represents Saturn, and he
has two equinoXes, as shown by the
black marks on the top and bottom.
They occur nearly fifteen years
apart Next interior to Saturn comes
Jupiter; and while Saturn revolves once
IN his orbit and has two euuinoxes.
Jupiter revolves two and a half times
and has five equinoxes. Next comes
Mars, and while Jupiter has five euui-
noxes, Mars has 81 Next comes the
earth with SO equinoxes in the same
period, and then Venus and Mercury
with their equinoxes happening within
a still shorter period. Mercury has one
every 43 days.
Where Equnoxes Merge
The object in drawing this chart was
10 snow how the equinoXes of'the sew
eral planets approximate each other
and when.
I'VE have just been passing through
a season of atmospheric and seismic
disturbances. The record of disastrous
storms, cold waves. hurricanes, tor
nados and earthquakes has been one
dreadful TO contemplate. You see the
cause of 1t.
The influence of an equinox of Jupiter
has been merged into an equinox of
saturn and we have had the equinoxes
or the smaller planets happening lin
from time to time to further augment
the tension Of our field of force.
'You win observe the equinox Of Sat
urn again merges into the equinox of
Jupiter at this point. The orbital mo-
tion OF Saturn, being so much slower
than that Of the other planets repre-
sented, its perturbing influence extends
over much longer period. In fact Il
extends over five or six years and Won
see that before we are well over the
effects of Jupiters equinox we come
into saturn's and before we get over
Saturn's we come into Jupiters again.
Hence, we may not expect 10 be
through with our extraordinary dis
turoanees until the beginning Of the