The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-28
-Dietz on Science
WEIRD COSMIC
LIGHTS CAUSED
BY ELECTIONS
Results of Study of ar-0ff
Space Told to
Society.
BY DAVID DIETZ
Scripps-Howard Science Editor

PHILADELPHIA, April 28.-Mys-
ferrous cosmic lights, messages from
unknown parts of the universe
bearing the untathomed record of
unknown occurrences in far-off
space, were described here at the
annual meeting last week of
the American Philosophical Society
by DR.. V. M. Slipher, director of the
Lowell observatory of Flagstaff
Ariz.
These weird cosmic CLOVIS, dis
covered after eighteen years of
study by the Lowell astronomers,
may prove to be as important and
as epochmaking as the cosmic rays
which have held the center of the
scientific stage for the last couple
of years.
DR.. Slipher calls them the "cosmic
radiations of the sky"
Eighteen years ago, the Lowell as
tronomerS began a study of the
faint illumination of the night sky
The high altitude of the obserVa tory
combined with the clear Arizona at
mosphere made this observatory an
unusually good place for the study
Discovers Planet Pluto
DR.. Percival Lowell, had picked
the site of the observatory because
of the unusual clarity of the sky
as an ideal place to study the mark
ings on Mars. The observatory also
carried on, under DR.. Slipher's di-
rection, the search for Lowell's
hypothetical planet x" a search
which eliminated in the discovery
of the planet, Pluto.
Part of the illumination of the
night sky, it was apparent at once,
was diffused or scattered light from
the visible stars. At times, auroral
displays caused additional illumina7 4
ton of the sky.
But analysis of starlight auroral
light, and the milky way, revealed
that there was still faint glow in
the night sky which could not be at
tributed to any of these sources.
Enter Earth's Sphere
Spectographs instruments for an
alyzing the various wave lengths of
light, were attached to a powerful
telescope at the Lowell observatory.
These spectrographic S tudies
have revealed a great series of ennis
sion lines and bands extending from
the ultraviolet to the deep mira
red, generally stronger in the longer
wave lengths of light" DR.. Slipher
said.
Spectral identifications of most
of these emissions are as yet I'M
known, and I have ve77tured to re-
fer to them as coSmic radiations of
the sky.
DR.. w. q. G.. Swami, director of
the Bartold Research Foundation,
discussed recent experiments to
analyze cosmic rays.
DR.. Swami is of the opinion that
cosmic rays may consist of swift
electrons elected from spots on the
stars. 1t is a known fact that cleo
irons elected from the spots on the
sun enter the earth'S atmosphere
and cause the auroral display.
Find No Explanation
DR.. Elmer A. Harrington, physicist
of the United States bureau of
standards, gave the scientists an
other mystery to ponder over.
He told that recent experiments
indicated that certain chemical
compounds known as silicates gen.
Grated small but continuous
amount of heat. This was detected
by putting the Silicates in vessels
surrounded by water jackets kept at
zero temperature.
Sensitive electrical thermometers
enclosed with the silicateS indicated
the continual generation of heat, a
phenomenon in many ways similar
to radio-activity, but one which was
unexpected and for which no ade-
quate explanation is as yet known.