New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-19
THIRTY SPOTS ON THE SUN
Not Believed To Be Caused by
Comet.

of which was estimated to be 1oo,uW hiies
in diameter, were seen to-day by tatner
Martin s. Brennan, astronomer at hen-
rick Seminary. The spots, according 10
Father Brennan, indicate violent solar
eruptions. but are not connected with
Halley's comet.
THE spots on the SUM- said Father
Brennan, were in three groups. L saw
them at e:30 o'clock. Twenty-six spots
were in one group, three in another ana
one was lone. It was the lone spot that
was the largest.
THE biggest sun spot ever recorded was
seen by Captain Davis in August, lS4s' IL
was $4,000 miles In diameter. The one
saw to-day was the largest / have ever
seen. The solar disturbances, l believe, VIII
continue for several days.
1.-THE spots at this time are unusual, put
no uneasiness need be felt They are caused
by internal disturbances in the sun The
spots which were seen by Professor See at
Mare Island this afternoon, and which he
said were roughly joined, / believe TO be
parts of the largest spot / saw earlier IN
the afternoon.
Pasadena, Cal. May 1s.-Dr. George E,
Hale. of the Carnegie Observatory on
Mount Wilson, to-day observed a large
group of sun spots, approximately III the
centre of the sun, smaller group, appar-
emily associated with the larger group, and
a single spot the edge OF the sun. Some
of these spots were observed on May a.
DIR. Hale estimated the total length OF
the large group to be about 100000 miles
There is not the slightest reason he
said, Ito suppose that tho sun spots have
llrpC
the comet
Vallejo, Cal. May 1S-Professor T. J. ].
See, of the United States naval observa-
tory at Mare Island, reported the following
observations on sun spots tonight:
Great sun spots were noted at p. M
to-day. The largest spot was slightly
northeast of the sun centre, and was made
up of three parts roughly joined together
by bridging, such as characterizes compli-
Gated spots.
This seems to indicate that the disturb
ance Is destined to last several days 1t ap-
pears to be increasing In magnitude and
to be of the vortex whirlpool type, which
often gives rise to disturbances of the
earths magnetism. The sun spots Will
reach the SUMS central meridian in another
day or two, and If any disturbance of the
earth's magnetism is to occur from this
cause it is likely to come about Friday
THE spots now seen are not believed to
have any connection with the comet, and
If any aurora or electric effects occur, We
probably should ascgibe them to the comet
rather than to the spots on the sun.
THE largest spot observed at Mare ISL
and was estimated to be sixty thousand
miles long and thirty thousand miles wide.
San Jose. Cal, May 1S.-Professor j. 5.
Richard. of Santa Clara College, meteoro-
logical Observatory, observed two extreme
" large spots on the sun, both intensely
black, to-day.
The astronomer said that one spot was
about twelve hours from the central me-
ridian East OF ii were thirteen pores, or
small spots These spots were entirely
new, he said, as for three months almost
nothing in the nature of spots has been
observed.
Chicago May 1S-Three sun spots. con-
siderably accumulated, were observed at the
Yerkes Observatory at o'clock this after
noon.
DR.. Harold Jacoby, Rutherford professor
OF astronomy at Columbia University, said
last night that the sun spots reported to-
day from various ohserYatories in the West
might be due to the passage of the comet
across the face of the sun, or they might
be merely fortuitous
THE sun spot observed by Father Bren-
man," he said. lis unusually large, but NOT
the largest recorded, If my memory server
me right II would be impossible to say
that the proximity of the comet to the sun
is what we cali sun spot. On the other
hand, such spots have appeared in the past
when they could not possibly be attributed
to a comet And there you are.
At shall be very much interested to hear
the detailed reports of those ob5ervatories
that watch the sun. Columbia does not OBJ
serve the sun, and we have nothing 10