| Show A storm on the ann after a timo of comparative quiet another storm has burst epou two or weeks ago the great disk of the luminary shone in a hardly a pot or a variation anywhere in brilli ancy except the ordinary mottling winch sometimes appears suggestive of n maae of tremendous flame on alic tops of which the spectator is looking down then ft spot of small ize appeared and moved slowly across the disk a congeries con geries of little spots broko forth like an eruption surrounded by and tortuous banks in a day or two tho outlines of a large spot could bo seen coming around alic eastern limb of tho sun it reined to grow as it advanced in a chort time a white filament pushed its way across the very centre of tho spot looking like a snow bridge over a dark clia in and then the two and slowly disappeared now the eastern edge 0 the disk began to be crowded with coming oncoming on spots the wrinkled lines of faculo showed chero the surface was agitated and new spots were likely to break forth at any moment they in group and one huge spot with a dirk d irk central chasm capacious to swallow tho earth seemed to bo their leader cloudy daya intervening interrupted hie sight but with every return of telescope new spots and new groups until now alio sun is spotted like a leopard the sight with n magnifying power low enough to show tho disk nt once is wonderful the spots arc of all pies from great in choso whoso dark depths tho ayo fancies it can do tact strange forms mysterious creations of the sun to little specks that but for heir in the neighborhood of the larger spots would hardly bo noticed il is a beautiful spectacle and only systematic observations and acas can convince the beholder thai lie is witnessing such n battle of forces as aliis earth has never beheld since it hardened from a rotund inasi ina si of licary discs into n firm and habitable globe A little careful watching anil calculation soon show tho real of aliat alio llio de reveals il is the heaving and swirling of a storm not a storm in any cn o in which we understand the word from our experience hacic on tins earth but n storm born probably in alio interior of the sun itself and exercising its fearful energy upon 1 ball of glowing gases hut gases arc in alic most unheard of and marcellous marvellous marv ellous condition among them arc whose names arc familiar tu students of chemistry and in our laboratories arc airy bilings that reveal themselves only by luicir effects in alic sun they arc heated up to such a degree no earthly chemist recognize them nt icat not by luicir conduct for in eliat unparalleled furnace they arc freed from many of iio laws which chemistry imposes upon bliem cicro and more wonderful yet men of science tell us so tremendous is the pressure to which they arc subjected in that heart and center of gnu iti tion that though they arc gases baill they must resemble in their mechanical behavior rather tar or honey alian alic airy sub which we know under their names chec aises continually ascending or moving away from the center become partially cooled at what appears to us as alio surface of the sun and fall back in showers of hot metallic mill it is amid such that llie sun storms rage and from such that they arc born hero is the most splendid field for dis that is open to man in the physical universe science lias learned a great deal about alic sun since the dinst aln taught that it might boa limit ible globe but yet it has hardly readied iio threshold of knowledge in this direction it has aliat alic of life upon our globe depends alio sun and that any consi drible change one way or alio other in alic amount of heat and light with which the sun supplies us would extinguish the little torch of human existence and end alic history of our race it has learned that the sun is not alie clear calm unspotted and undisturbed luminary that it was supposed to bo before tho telescope and the spectroscope were invented but that it is on alio contrary the scene of alic most trumen I 1 ilous commotion alic sport of forces mighty enough to dissipate alie earth in fiery vapor iset the sun derives its energy what its composition is how long it will continue to supply vitality to the system whether it b undergoing or is likely to undergo any changes that may bring danger to alio earth arc nil questions upon which moro liblit is needed before they can be satisfactorily facto rily and finally answered anybody who wishes to assist in aliis search for knowledge can easily and cheaply furnish himself alio necessary means telescopes are no longer very costly instruments st A good one to order by a responsible and furnished with nil uio needful accessories can bo purchased for bialt or even a quarter of tho price of a grand piano ean if no discoveries arc made with it it will give no end of instruction and amusement Obona lions made by persons not conversant alio llio processes of astronomical science arc not value pro lidid they arc carefully and accurately mado and recorded alie astronomers are always glad to get such records and llroy know how to put tin in to good use the present sunspot period is now at its height it will in a few months begin to diminish and then some eleven years must alape before another maximum is reached it is to ba hoped that lie present opportunity of obtaining more accurate knowledge of the sun will not bo neglected everybody who owns a telescope or a spectroscope can help some of the best work ever done in astronomy lias been that of amateurs in england this is better understood than in this country there astronomy is alic favorite study of many clergymen who own fine acle scopes and write valuable papers for the scientific societies in tho united states we have clearer skies than alic en and a more favorable latitude america ought to bo alic country of astronomers tron omers and the secret of the sun storms should bo discovered her N r sun henry M newhall Nc a prominent business man of san francisco lately deceased is thought to have never fully recovered from the effects of a sunstroke which he attending tho triennial conclave of knights Temp lars of which body he wis a member at chicago in 1580 oscar wilde dotes on american canned corn oscar would become reasonably sane if he stayed with us a little while indianapolis jurnel |
