Evening star., 1938-06-28

swept hither and yon by coSmic winds
and forming the common mother stuff
OF matter and light, was presented by
DR.. Ralph E. DeLury. president of the
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
At the same time DR.. DeLury report
ed 4 new determination of the suns
speed OF rotation on its axis which
shows that the solar disk is not slow
| ing down, as some astronomers nave
believed. He also gave the results Of
a series Of studies made at the Do
minion Observatory here on the eco
nomic effects of sun spots. some of
which hitherto have not been sus-
pected.
DR.. DeLury gave mathematical evil
dence that all visible radiation con-
sists Of streams Of his tiny cosmic gas
particles, which might be considered as
infinitesimably minute elastic balls.
All the recognized primary particles
Of matter. he said. may be considered
as as2regations of these which have
stuck together in the cosmic whirl-
pool. Every time q big, light elec-
tron, or supposed unit of negat tive elec-
tricity, passes close to a very minute,
heavy proton, he said, it is given a
spin. If this happens in the midst of
a dense aggregation Of protons the
electron, once started spinning, gets a
constant succession of new spins until
it reaches such = speed that 1t is
broken up into an elongated stream OF
the cosmic particles which may hit
the eye in the form of light.
Amplification of this concept. DR..
DeLury stressed makes it possible to
explain on a physically picturable
basis such factors as the varying
wave-lengths of light, heat and radio
waves.
Evidence Of Sunspot Effects.
Some of the most striking evidence
yet offered of the far-reaching effects
OF sunspOts on economic conditions
was presented by the astronomical
society president. Taking the area of
Canada alone, Or. DeLury said, at =
time Of sunspot minimum the average
temperature is from one to three de-
grees higher. The variations in rain
are considerable, but depend on the
location. Thus on the prairies and
through most of the Mississippi Valley
precipitation is at q minimum when
there are most sunspots, while near
the ocean or other large bodies OF
water 1t Is at a minimum when sur
face of the sun is less disturbed.
Grain production. he found. runs
from to bushels per acre higher
at sunspot minimum than at maxi
mum.
Northern Hemisphere stars moving
five times as fast as the sun in a SEEM
ingly aimless race around the center of
the universe were reported by DR.. r. K
Young, director of the astronomical
observatory Of the University. of To-
ronto.
He told Of measuring the proper
motions Of 500 faint stars in selected
areas OF the heavens north of the
celestial equator, bringing to total of
| nearly 5000 the number of heavenly
bodies whose speeds and directions are
not known. Some, he said, show speeds
OF more than so miles a second Earth
with its nine planets is relatively a
laggard with a steady pace of only
about IL miles a second.
The investigations reported are part
of longtime program to determine
.more accurately the mechanics of the
celestial system Of about 80, ,00O, ,0O0, 900
stars which are circling forever, but
apparently in two opposite directions,
around some central point located near
the constellation OF Sagittarius, the
hunter.