Evening star., 1938-07-12
OF STARS
MEN AND ATOMS

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Notebook of Science Progress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
By THOMAS r. HENRY.
The United States Weather Bureau
now is participating for the 18th year in
an international month" program Of
upper air meteorological observations,
undertaken to build up mass Of stimuli
taneous records Of conditions in the SUBJ
stratosphere from fixed spots all over
the earth.
Meteorological services of dozen
countries are taking part In these OBJ
servations. The assembled data will be
compiled by each country and for
warded to the International Astrological
Commission in Berlin to be published.
From this program 1t is hoped to build
up q comprehensive map Of the upper
atmosphere, which is coming more and
more to be recognized as the place where
weather changes originate.
The American station is at Omaha,
Nebr. The observations will be made by
the rapidly developing robot weather
observers, the meteorographs, carried 10
or IL miles above the earth by hydrogen
filled balloons. Each balloon has a red
silk parachute attached by means of
which the robot makes safe descent to
earth when the bag filled bag breaks
after reaching a critical pressure alti-
tude. The parachutes are expected to
attract the attention Of persons in the
vicinity, who are paid reward for re-
covering the instruments and returning
them to the Weather Bureau.
Each balloon carries two meteoro-
graphs, one Of the type commonly used
In the United States and the other
lighter, cheaper type which has been
found satisfactory in several European
countries To minimize the effect Of the
suns heat on the recordings the instru-
ments are sent aloft only at sunrise and
sunset. For a short period-July 18 to
23-two observations will be taken each
day.
Already a great amount Of data has
been accumulated. This may be the
along these lines, according to DR.. w.
r. Gregg, Weather Bureau chief.
There is possibility, however, that
an attempt may be made next year to
obtain records from exceptionally high
attitudes by attaching the instruments
to larger balloons.
Cosmic rays probably originate within
the Milky Way, the galaxy Of which the
earth is a part, rather than in very re-
mote sections of space, according to data
just presented by DR.. Arthur H. Comp
ton of the University of Chicago.
In recent years astronomers have es-
tablished that the galaxy is rotating at
q speed of about 1876 miles second in
a northward direction. The earth and
sun are taking part in this rotation. In
view of this, DR.. Compton predicted. the
number Of these extremely penetrating
rays striking the face of the earth
would be much greater in the direction
of the planets motion. The Northern
Hemisphere would be the forward NOV
ing face Of the earth. DR.. Compton
hkened the situation to that of person
riding on marry-go-round in the rain.
He would get more raindrops in the
face than on the back.
Careful measurements at the MaSSa-
chusetts Institute of Technology. how
ever, fail to show any such variation.
Consequently it is deduced that the rays
must come from points within the ro-
tating system itself. The data indicate
very nearly uniform radiation from all
directions.
I'VE should continue to think of the
cosmic rays" said DR.. Compton, ''as
very DID, perhaps dating from the origin
of the galaxy itself, perhaps being the
accumulation Of millions of years of
some gradual process giving rise to high
energy particles. We should not, how
ever, think Of them as coming from
space which on an astronomical scale is
very remote"
The new calculations throw some
doubt on the exploding universe" the
ory advanced by the Belgian physicist,
Lemaitre, which hitherto has gained
wide acceptance. Previous estimates of
the amount of power required to produce
the rays are radically reduced. On the
assumption that they came from beyond
the Milky Way it was necessary to hold
that all space was filled with the rays,
and that their source was much more
abundant than is the power source
which gives the light energy from stars.
No adequate source for such colossal
flow Of power could be postulated. The
new theory removes this difficulty If the
rays, which are electrically charged, are
held within the galaxy's magnetic field
while starlight freely escapes, the source
Of cosmic-ray power can be considered
as much feebler than the source of star
light.
The st. Lawrence River has had life
time Of about 800 900 900 years, accord
ing to report to the Geological Society
of America from DR.. j. E. Gill of Nc
Gill University.
He traces its beginning back to the
time when coal deposits were first form
ing on earth. It was then small stream
flowing southeastward, one of many
such little rivers arising in the newly
arisen Arcadian Mountains. But due
to the exceptionally favorable location
of its channel it was able to capture
streams flowing both northward and
southwark.
About 100000 years ago the river,
together with wind, rain and other
erosive forces, had reduced the whole
country nearly to level plain. Dis
turbances within the earth's crust then
gradually lifted the area again and
once more, over span Of many millions
Of years, erosion reduced it. Each time
the region was uplifted the st. Lawrence