Evening star., 1928-04-23
SCIENTISTS DISCUSS
JUPITER AND RADIO
Largest Planet Yielding Sc.
crets, National Academy Is
Told at Opening Session.

The most distinguished OF American
scientists we're in Washington today for
the annual two-day meeting OF the Ma
tional Academy of Sciences.
The papers presented this morning
we're given over TO abstruse discussions
In physics. chemistry and mathematics,
for the most part dealing only with
pure science.
The planet Jupiter, largest OF the
suns family, is yielding up Its secrets
reluctantly In the face of the most IN
genious methods of photography, 1t was
revealed by w. H Wright OF the Lick
Observatory. Hamilton, Calf.
DR.. Wright showed photographs OF
the surface of Jupiter taken with ultra
violet light and compared them with
pictures taken with extreme red light.
The two showed markedly different
features, the belief being that the first
caught only the surface features of
Jupiters ocean of atmosphere while the
red penetrated some distance into this
atmosphere.
Red Spot Believed Atmospheric.
The great curiosity presented by
Jupiter which has puzzled astronomers
Is the great red spot" on the atmos-
pheric surface. The red light photo
graph. presumably representing a lower
level. shows only trace of this spot.
leading 10 the possible explanation
that 1t Is a phenomenon of the atmos-
pheric surface which decreases rapidly
the further one penetrates the atmos-
phere
The perplexing problem OF ionization
OF the upper atmosphere Of the earth.
resulting in the So-called heavy side
layer OF vital Importance In radio trans
mission, was dealt with by E. o. HUI
burt. OF the naval research laboratory
at AnacoStia. This layer. resulting from
free electrons disassociated from their
gas atoms. DR.. Hulburt said, could be
explained entirely as due 10 the ultra
violet rays OF the sun.
Such an explanation was supported.
he said. by measures OF the ionization
OF the upper atmosphere by night and
day, Winter and Summer, showing a
regular variation with the variation of
the amount OF ultra violet rays In SUM-
light which strike the surface of the
atmosphere. The measurements, he
said, do away with any need 10 ex-
plain the electron layer by assuming
such things as charged particles from
the sun. They fit In with the observed
facts of radio transmission, Mr.. Hull
bert said. such as skip distances. over
head absorption, limiting waves. ranges
and the apparent heights reached by
the waves.
Night Sky Light Explained.
This also will explain he said. an
obscure phenomenon of nature which
has puzzled scientists for long time
the light of the night sky or nonpolar
aurora, which results from the amount
OF energy liberated by the bombaro-
ment OF the atmospheric atoms by the
ultraviolet rays. about ] per cent of
which is transformed into light.
@. j. Davisson and l.. II. Gerner OF
the Bell Telephone Laboratories de-
scrihed the botnbardment OF face OF
nickel crystal with stream of cleo
irons 10 determine the intensity OF their
scattering. Prof. Henry Norris Russell
OF Princeton University and Walter s.
Adams Of the Mount Wilson Observa-
tory at Pasadena. Calf, described the
development OF new method which
may he used for calculating the tenn
perature at the surface OF distant stars
by lines OF various elements In the
spectroscopes.
Results obtained by this method.
Prof. Russell said, applied TO such
enormous heavenly bodies ~ Antares,
Arcturus, the sun and Sirius show close
agreement with accepted theory.
Other speakers on the program this
morning were: Edwin H. Hall, Cam
bridge, Mass; w, A, Noyes. University
Of Illinois: r. M. LANCER and Geraldine
X, Walker, Bureau OF Standards Frank
Wenner, Bureau Of Standards. n. W
Wood, Johns Hopkins University; r.
ID. Murnaghan, Johns Hopkins Uni-
versity