Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-15
BIG spot ON THE sun
Prof. Brashear Says It is a
Very Large One.
TOLD ABOUT A STORM
And It Came Of Almost on Schedule
Time at Pittsburg.
OTHER SCIENTISTS ARE AT ODDS
Some Say It May Bring About Atmos-
pheric Observation-Disclosures
Other Spots.
OTHER SCIENTISTS ARE AT ODD.

nOunced Thursday the discovery of one
of the greatest sunspots ever called to the
attention of astronomers He said as
result electrical disturbances might be expe-
rfenced throughout the country last night.
These disturbances, he further declares,
may take the form of a display of the
aurora borealis or telegraph and telephone
communication may be seriously affected.
The present spot is so large 1t can be seen
through smoked glass and, the scientist
adds, is one Of the most active of solar
spots.
In his statement of the discovery Prof
Brashear says:
"A very large and beautiful sunspot, or
solar disturbance is now crossing the face
OF the sun and is approaching the central
meridian. This is the largest spot that has
been seen for several years and its approx
mate length is 10000 miles and 10000 miles
wide, covering an area of about 3,5OO,OOO
square miles.
Besides this great group Of spots, there
are three other groups to the west OF 1t,
and a fourth is just leaving the sun on the
eastern side. This great spot can be readily
seen by the naked eye with a piece OF
smoked glas.. Indeed. my attention was
called to it by gentleman VINO saw II
through the morning fog.
I'VE have been observing the spot with
great interest all day, measuring 1t and es-
timatng its size. 1t is great spot, stretch-
ing an eighth of the way across the sun.
at comes at a time when 1T is not uSuai
to expect sunspotS, and is of greater inter-
est for that reason. Why it appears now
is not explained.
Nav Mean Trouble.
NEW HAVEN, February 15.-Dr. Mason
F. Smithe of the Yale observatory stated
that the Yale astronomers had been watch
ing the spots on the sun, and that 1t might
portend electrical disturbances. He addeo:
I'VE have noticed the spot Tor seVerai
DAYS. 1t may bring on electrical disturb
ances, probably an aurora and troupie over
the telephone wires, but nothns serious
The SPOT is plainly visible to the nakeu eye,
and is on the left-hand side. below the cen.
ter. 1t is now passing across the lace OF
the sun and will be visible four or nVe uays
longer. The telescope at the oosei Ha =. y
has not been sighted on the spot, as 1t Is
used for determining the parallax OF stars.
What Harvard Scientist says.
CAMBRIDGE. Mass, February l5.-Har-
ward observatory experts are taxing niueh
interest in a sunspot which was piaihly on
seryable yesterday. said to be one of the
largest ever observed since accurate RECORDS
were first kept. The Harvard authorities,
however. do not attach much significance to
this phenomenon. They have computed
that the present spot is 10000 miles in eX-
IRENE length and 49, 600 miles in width. Its
annroximate area is 5000, eoo square
miles or sixteen times that or the ealth'
prof William II. Pickering, director VI
the Harvard observatory, said:
..This spot is plainly visible, ana IN re-
atty is group of spots. IT mad peeI 1 1n,
posed that the last of the large Spots lra9
disappeared some time ago. but TINS pelel
was incorrect. Every eleven years laIse
snOts appear, getting smaller and smaller'
and then at the end of the eleVen-Seal PC
Rod the large spots return: =,
II should not expect that the presence OF
this large sunspot would cause any notapie
disturbance on the earth. II mleht Sause
an electrical or magnetic storm put oQupt
that the ordinary citlzen Wouio ~ AZ NOT he.
was any such electrical storm. 90 not pc
lieva that the somewhat recent earthqudkes
can he connected with the presence OF the
snot-at least, there is notnlnS 10 sAo"
they are in any way related.
The Johns Hopkins idea.
BALTIMORE, Md, February 1o.-speak-
ing of the big spot on the sun surface
which Prof. John A. Brashear OF the Aile-
gheny Observatory, Pennsylvania mas ols-
covered. and the probability of its causing
a arrangement of electrical apparatus
throughout the world, Prof. Harry fleloihs
Reid of the Johns Hopkins University said
last night:
"I have been much interested in the ac-
count of Prof. Brashear's discovery OF the
spot and by means of smoked glass was
able to make it out without trouble.
'"The probable cause of SUCH spot on Tue
SUMS surface is the sudden contact OF
mass of cold air, cold in comparison to the
normal temperature Of the sun, with the
surface Of that body. Such contact Is apt
to cause magnetic storm, "nicn io IN ,as
apparatus throughout the entire world
such has been the case with these magnetic
disturbances, but whether one Is to be ex-
pected from the present conoiton VI TIC
suns surface am unable to say.
Storm Influences Perhaps.
ALBANY, N. Y, February 1o-Prof.
Lewis Boss, director Of the Dudley observa-
tory here, said yesterday that he noticed
the disturbance on the sun yesterday. he
attributes the sun spots to storm influences.
LAS the disturbance appeared to me-" he
said, "it was not one single spot, but a col
lection of spots, ranging from 5000 to 10000
miles In diameter, down to spots OF smaller
dimensions. Electrical disturbances are la
BILE to occur in an auroral display, accom-
panied by great interruption Of the tele-
graph
Just when these phenomena will manifest
upon the surface of the sun are always
followed by such manifestations.
These spots have appeared at time
when it is not reasonable to expect them.
With one or two exceptions the spots are Of
small SIZE
Any One Can See It.
NEW YORK, February 15.-That the
huge sunspot discovered by Prof. John A.
Brashear, director of the Allegheny OBJ
servatory, will have an appreciable effect
upon the earth is considered a matter Of
great doubt by Prof Max Jacoby, head
Of the department Of astronomy in Column
bia University.
by using a piece Of smoked glass;"
said Prof. Jacoby last night, ANY one
can verify the existence of the sunspot
for himself. It is a spot no bigger than
many others that have been observed in
former years: all that makes this particu-
lar spot unusual is what might call its
untimeliness.' Every eleven and one
tenth years there are great number Of
spots on the sun. The maximum Of this
period occurred about two years ago, SO
that 1t Is q little unexpected to find so
big q spot at this time. The revolution Of
the sun upon its axis makes these spots
| appear to travel from west to east across
| the face Of the sun, taking about twelve
days in so doing. For. the next week,
therefore, the great spot will be a very
conspicuous object.
Theory as to Cause.
II