Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-30
Miseellaasuus Reading.
FACTS ABOUT THE SUN
King of Solar System of Which Earth
is a Member


to it's master by circling continually
about him, at a rate which is ever the
same. In return. the sun gives light,
heat and those DEMONSTRATING influ-
ences which support vegetation and
all animal beings.
BY a series of curious experiments
scientific men have gained a fair idea
Of the intensity of light and heat from
the sun. as compared with early in
struments.
When the sun is at the zenith or
directly overhead, its light is equal to
75 electric lights placed only three feet
from the observer. Yet an electric
light is too dazzling for any one to
with Sirius, which is the brightest in
the heavens, the light of the sun is
90. 600 900 times more brilliant
The intensity of solar heat on our
globe varies greatly, in a way that
| sunlight does not, the former affected
by locations. attitudes, changes of the
atmosphere and many causes
1t has been estimated, however, that
the total quantity of heat which the
earth receives from the sun each year
is enough to melt layer of ice cover
ing the entire globe and having n
thickness of 100 feet,
| But this is only very small portion
Of the whole amount of heat given out
by the sun. The total solar heat is
enough to melt every day a layer of
ice 10! miles thick, about the entire
sun. Or. to take Prof. Tyndalrs COM
parison, the suns heat emitted in one
| hour is equal to that produced by
burning a seam of coal l63 miles
| thick.
| Besides giving light and heat, 1t is
now well known that the suns rays
have powerful chemical effects. Upon
the solar light depend the color and
perfume of plants and the perfection
of fruit. Plants grown in the dark
change their nature. Instead Of alb
sorbing carbonic acid and emitting
oxygen, they do just the reverse, thus
impairing instead Of benefitting the
| atmosphere.
Tyndal we'll says that "all terrestrial
power is derived from the sum- and
that we are able to convert only
small part of it's force into mechani-
cal power. And as to the effect which
this orb eXerts upon human health
and energy, we have only to contrast
our own states of feeling, as affected
by change from bright sunshine to
sultry weather, or a raw, damp spell.
Our great luminary is a globe about
$50, 900 miles in diameter, being los
times the diameter of the earth. This
is nearly twice as great as the moons
orbit or path round the earth. In other
words, if the earth were put at the
suns centre, the moon in revolving
around the earth would still be at a
depth within the sun of $4,000 miles
| from it's surface. Its volume exceeds
the earth's a million and quarter
times, but its density is only one
fourth of the earth's, or little great
er than that of water.
The problem of measuring the vast
distance that separates the earth and
the sun has long been an interesting
though exceedingly delicate one. 1t
has been achieved, however, by taking
| advantage of what is known as the
transit of Venus across the suns disk,
which only occurs a few times in a
century.
AS the relative distances Of Venus
and the earth from the sun are well
known, it is then possible, by making
series of observations with instru-
ments at widely distant points, and at
the same time to calculate the sum
total very closely The transit, in 1874,
was carefully noted, and so was that
of 1882.
Astronomers now hold that the av-
erage distance of the sun from tn"
earth is Sl.43OOOO miles, being $780,
| 600 miles less than the common belieT
of Il few years ago, and which was
founded on the observations made at
the transit in 1850.
1t has been found possible even to
weigh the sun and tell what its mass
amounts to. 1t is equal to $4,000 times
| that of the earth. If we attempt TO
| express this in tons, the sum would be
| 2.l54 lO6.5SO, plus Is ciphers to be
added.
Astronomers have discovered that
the sun rotates upon its axis Qike our
earth does daily in the space of twen-
ty-iive days and eight hours. This
important fact came to light through
watching a series of singular black
spot or openings on the suns surface,
very irregular in form and size. Their
apparent motion over the surface of
| the disk and recurrence at stated in
tervals enabled Galileo to guess tn"
true cause. The rotation, like the
earth'S is from west To east.
But the real nature of the sun spots
is still undecided. As many as fifty
have been seen at one time, and some
are of immense size. Herschcl observ-
ed one whose diameter was 10000
miles or more than six times that of
1
black in the centre. and are surround
ed by Il fainter shade. The opinion now
in favor is that a spot is rent in the
suns luminous atmosphere, caused by
some inner disturbing force or whirl-
wind.
This emanatiOn of some influence
from the sun is also believed to make
itself felt in an unusual disturbance of
the earth's magnetism. and in flow
of electricity which develops the auro-
raj lights in the upper atmosphere of
the earth. 1t is found that the height
of spots and of magnetic variations
with auroral displays coincide exactly
with each other. increasing, and then
decreasing. through periods of five and
| Il half years
The question of the constitution of
the sun has given rise to various spec
ulations which tend To contradict one
another The theory still most in ia
vor SuppoSeS the sun itself to be com