The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-05-15
SAYS EARTH PASSED THROUGH
SOLAR CORONA
Professor Snyder, of Philadelphia,
Vhus Explains the Great Au-
r8ral Display of March %.

Philadelphia, May IL. The earth
was passing through the outer con-
fines of the corona or exterior envel-
ope of the sun one the night of
March %, when the inhabitants of
the northern portion of the United
States witnessed the great display of
the aurora borealis says Professor
Monroe B. Snyder director of the
Philadelphia observatory.
The astronomer, in statement to
the Associated Press, says that the
universal force of radioaction" on
the sun hurried the final atoms of an
explosion, namely electrified hydro
gen and probably helium, straight to
the earth"
Professor Snyder's observations
follow:
"The recent aurora is a fine indica-
tion of the explosive disintegration
which takes place at the surface of
the sun and is responsible for it's
prominences, spots and corona. Our
discovery of the magnitude and pre-
else atomic order of the explosion of
the chemical elements in the sun, and
In the stars generally, leads to con-
ceptions of the aurora and the accom-
panying magnetic and electric storms
which are beyond any doubt as to
their validity.
During the hours of,sthe night of
March 22 the earth -was, s-a very
true sense, and to the delight of us all
passing through the outer confines of
the solar corona. The same universal
force of radioaction which disinte-
CRATES the atoms in stupendous local
lied Krakatoas, or Mont Pelees, on
tie sun, and produces the hydrogen
of the coronal streams, then also
hurled the final atoms of that explo-
sion, namely, electrified hydrogen,
and probably Relium, straight to the
earth.
"Only within about a month of the
equinox, vernal, or autumnal, is the
earth is an orbital position to be thus
successfully bombareded. The mov-
ing electric hydrogen is of course, an
electric current and is therefore car
ried toward the poles of the earth
and round them with earth's mag
netic forces. The fascinating colors
of the 4drora are due to the changing
electM excitation of the hydrogen
aR6 other g&ses. The theory OF We
kgard, the Swedish physicist, which,
has explained the wonderful curtain
ed auroras as due to hydrogen parti-
cles, of positive electric charge, Is
now shown to be unquestionably true
in that it is but a logical result of the
explosive eruption of the electric hy-
| drogen from the sun.
"The well-known delay or lag In
time, between the solar eruption and
the appearance of the magnetic
storm and accompanying aurora on
the earth, Of about forty-fve hours,
is due to the time taken for the hy-
drogen atoms to travel from the sun
to the earth. The rate of travel is
about 575 miles per second, or some
what in excess Of the rate Of the up
ward movement Of the gases in some
Of the great solar prominences.
"The numerous and complex details
Of the auroral phenomena are found
thus to receive, for the first time
reasonable explanation. Additional
confirmation of this explanation is
given by the fact that our discoveries
also prove that all the elemental
atoms, 30 wonderfully explosive in the
stars, are structural products Of hy-
| drogen."