Evening star., 1938-06-28
Astronomers
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to be accompanied by diverse phe-
nomena on earth including disturb
ance of radio communications. an
increase in ultraviolet light. more
and brighter northern lights and
possible major effects on weather.
They also are reputed to be accom-
panied by ali sorts of misfortunes-
wars, droughts, floods, famines, stock
market depressions and political revo-
out showing some dreadful event at
every sunspot maximum since CALI
leo's day.
Thus 1917, the time of the greatest
previous maximum in this century.
marked the greatest depths of the
World War, which started about the
time the rise in numbers began The
1928 maximum was followed by the
great stock market crash and the
start OF the depression. Almost the
the same thing on lesser scale fol-
lowed the maximum which, Dr. Stet-
Tells of Findings.
Among his discoveries announced
today is that while something con-
pected with sunspots is intimately
concerned with the aurora borealis
the polar lights themselves reach their
maximum from one to two years after
the sunspot maximum. They should
be very brilliant during the coming
year.
DR.. Stetson split the northern and
southern hemispheres of the sun into
three latitude zones from the equator
to the poles. At the time of maxi
mum spottedness, he found, the great
whirlwinds were distributed generally
over the surface, but when the de-
cline began it was those in the high
latitudes which disappeared. 1t con-
tlnues just as stormy as ever around
the suns equator, and these solar
storms are expected to persist almost
up to another minimum four or five
years hence.
Hence, he believes, it is these which
cause the magnetic effect. whatever
it may be. responsible for the dancing
lights around the earths North Pole.
Peary Apparently Missed Pole.
Admiral Robert E. Peary apparently
missed the North Pole by three
fourths of a mile.
On one OF the sledee sorties which
ne made during two days from Camp
Morris Jessup established on April s,
1909, within 5 miles Of the Pole.
the explorer passed within eight
tenths of mile of the actual "rota-
tional axis" of the earth, according to
a recalculatior of his results lust
compiled by DR.. Heber d. Curtis.
director of the astronomical observa-
tory Of the University of Michigan.
DR.. Curtis report was presented to
astronomers by Prof. Stetson. 1t fixed
Peary's exact position at latitude
1856 north. Peary himself believed
he actually had been on the Pole itself
and his belief was upheld in the fall OF
the same year by committee of
Reographers and mathematicians ap-
pointed by the National Geographic
Society to examine his records. At the
same time another committee was de-
termining that DR.. Frederick A. Cook
never had been anywhere near the
Pole.
The actual North Pole is only
dimensionless mathematical point and
anybody who approaches within 2
or miles OF it for all practical
purposes can be considered as having
been there. Even with the improved
instruments available today it is
doubtful if it would be possible to
AK position exactly at the point
itself. Peary made his observations
with sextant and theodolyte, the
ordinary position FINDING instruments
OF mariners.
Six Hours on Calculations.
But, DR.. Curtis stressed, near the
Pole all possible position observations
are likely to 60 astray, especially
those dealing with the horizon and
the suns position. Checking Peary's
calculations against his own records
which he made available to the
National Geographic Society Commit
tee. he said, shows that the explorer
actually was six hours of in his
time calculations. Those which he
thought he was making at noon
actually were taken at am. Those
set down as midnight" should have
been noon"
When the newly calculated times
are substituted, however, Peary's claim
to having been nearer the Pole than
any other human being remains un-
challenged, DR.. Curtis said.
Some member of the Russian party
set down at the Pole itself last fall
may actually have strayed over the
point itself. The Russians. howevT,
accepted Pearys claim and made no
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