Evening star., 1933-04-30
EARTHSURR0UNDED'
BY CROWN OF LIGHT
Meteorological Association
Told of Phenomena Seen
During Eclipse.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Mother Earta wears a crown of light
This was demonstrated before the
American Meteorological Association
meeting at the Weather Bureau here
yesterday, by Prof. Lars Vegard of the
University of Oslo. For the past 10
years DR.. Vegard has been studying the
phenomena of the northern lights in
Northern Norway.
When the suns face is blackened dur
ing solar eclipse observers in the
region of totality see coming suddenly
into view luminous circle surrounding
the darkened disk-the so-called solar
corona. 1t is said to be one of the
most beautiful objects in nature.
Causes Different.
The earths crown Prof. Vegard said
Is similar in structure to the suns, but
due to different cause. 1t would be
visible in outer space only at the
moment of a total eclipse of the EARTH
II anything like that ever happened.
To an observer on the sun the solar
corona would be at all times invisible.
The terrestrial corona, however. becomes
partly visible in the northern lights and
Is in part responsible for the so-called
zodiacal lights which sometimes ap
pear just after sunset 1t is at all
times invisible during the day when it
is most intense. because it is drowned
out in the intensity of sunlight. 1t
can be detected. however, by means of
the spectroscope turned on the night
sky after the effects Of moonlight and
starlight have been subtracted.
These spectroscopic observations show
the sky itself is family luminous. De-
examinations of the spectra have just
been reported from the Lowell Observa-
tory. It shows lines probably identical
with those obtained by Prof. Vegard
from the northern lights and presum-
ably is associated with the same phe-
nomenon.
Probably Greenish Color
Mother Earth's crown probably IS
composed of a misty, greenish light,
the spectroscopic observations indicate.
1t is due to electrically excited nitrogen
gas distributed in the earth's atmos-
pheric blanket from so to about 600
miles above the surface. 1t was some
what contradictory to find that the COM
paratively heavy nitrogen atoms existed
so high in the atmosphere while there
was little trace Of the much lighter NY
drogen and helium which presumably
would rise to the top.
These nitrogen atoms, the observa-
tions indicate, are thrown into electri-
cal diseouilbrium by the short, invisible
rays of the sun which makes ions OF
them by knocking off some OF the outer
electrons This causes the lumlnes-
cence. The earth's crown differs from
the suns crown in that the latter Is
caused by light from the sun ltSe1
acting upon its own outer atmosphere.
The corona. Dr. Vegard said. presum--
ably is brightest during the day out
the intensity of the sunlight renders II
undetectable The effect can be gotten
most strongly. however. Just before SUM-
rise or just after sunset.
The auroral light comes from very
cold regions of the upper air: Pro1.
Vegard reached the conclusion that the
light centers are active at temperatures
about % degrees Fahrenheit below zero.
Disintegration of Atoms.
The disintegration of the atoms OF
Nghter elements by bombardment with
neutrors-one of the last discovered
of the fundamental units of matter
was described before the American
PHYSICAL Society yesterday by Prof.
William D. Harkins Of the University
of Chicago.
The neutron consists of one electrcn,
or negatively charged electrlcal parllCle,
and one proton. or positively charged
electrical particle, closely bound to-
gether and about ten-trillionth OF
q centimeter in diameter. 1t is literal
cannon ball of atomic bombardment,
one having been found with a velocity
Of $4,000 miles a second. The neutron
exists, Prof. Harkins told the physicists,
In the neucleus Of the atom Of the rare
element beryllium.
The gasses nitrogen, oxygen and
neon have been bombarded with this
heavy artillery in his laboratory, Prof.
Harkins said, with the result that there
nuclei have been disintegrated when
a hit" was made and measurable
energy has been driven forth.
The discovery c; a free positive cleo
tron. the so-called position, was de-
scribed by DR.. Carl D. Andersen OF
the California Institute Of technology.
1t is a positively charged particle of
approximately the mass of the mega
lively charged electron and with only
q fraction Of the mass of the proton,
the positively charged particle hitherto
known to science, which Is found IN
the nucleus of an atom.