The Washington times., 1907-03-24
Earth Could Drop
Through Sun Spot

III NAFA DtEltu appearance OF n
enormous group Of sunspots in
me middle Of February and the
simultaneous outbreak OF mag
"ellc disturbances in various parts OF
me earth make the question Of tbs
nature and power Of sunsDors nsrrIo-r-
larry interesting. since there may be a
continuance Of these phenomena dur-
ing the summer.
IL Is commonly said that the earth
could b. dropped into the central cav
IIy or e. great sunspot. ike a billiard
oaH INTO a pocket But this state
lHehl conveys little impression Of the
VAST dimensions of these solar dis
tuI Ddhces, and none whatever Of the
nlcohcelFable forces AT play in them.
Neilher does 10 afford 10 the mind Of
the reader any idea OF the strange an
pearances that we should behold If We
could visit the sun during one Of i-s
periods Of CONFUSION, or. for .rst
matter at any time
but II Is not difficult. from What is
now known Of the sun n fo--, a.
localized picture OF the state Of tbin,s
On ana Just beneath its surface an
pt IS mere made TO present such
picture, including some Of in nora
conspicuous and wonderful phenomena
Of the solar shell.
Landing upon the sun. suDnosin9
ourselves able TO endure the temnars-
ture OF 1000 degrees. or more and
me irresistible electric energies CON
'IhuaIIy unloOSed there. we should find
mat In place of a solid crust Ike the
eartns we had beneath Us a biIIovy,
pane OF white-hot metallic ,-arorg
forming the surface that is ,-isfb1s
from the earth.
SINKING down through this. We wound
come INTO a region marvellous bevond
All Words-a region corresponding in
some respects 10 the earth's atmos-
phere. over our heads would he tba
vast canopy of glowing metallic clouds
and thousands of miles beneath US the
inner globe Of the sun, consisting of a
mass Of tremendously heated gases,
Kept by immense pressure in a state OF
consistency resembling that of tar.
Underneath that mass. submerged
and struggling forces would manifest
their presence. The whole vast inner
globe would appear 10 be alive and
moving with strange imprisoned pow
ers. like the mud geysers of the yell
lowstone before an outbreak
Presently i'm some place the gather
ing energies beneath would obtain the
mastery. There would be a gigantic
upHeaval- With sudden outburst of re-
sistless energy. the sluggish surfaca
would swell and burst. and a vast
rush Of metallic vapOTs would soar
upward, dashing intQ atoms the fiery
trunks of the more quiescent columns
of ascending gases, tearing passage
through the forest of tall flames.
breaking the phOtoSpheric canopy
above and hurting itself out into free
space 10 height OF thirty or forty
thousand miles
\ great rageed hole, ten thousand
miles across. would be torn in the
outer solar surface. It would be the
birth Of sunspOt. Immediately the
blazing VdpCrS OF The metals thrown No
into cold space would begin to con-
dense, and in short time they would
come, controlled by solar gTaVltation,
descending over millions of square
miles about the central cavity dark
by contrast through the effect of par
ual cooling, like a lake Of black water
lying upon white ice.
out in space. hundred million miles
away. the electric reVerberattOn OF
that terrific explosion OF peut up en-
er"y would set the atmosphere OF dis
JdDt planets st-CFi Nerlus- aLtl 2uroral
beams, and their magnetic forces
would instantly respond with strange
pulsatiOnS
II is trGlv not q matter foT wonder
at the earth. even al the distance OF
S3,0Jo000 miles, feels the eTfec5 when
the sun is excited II is rather sur
prisiuE that the effect is not more
disastrous.
Copyright :ga!. by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS z