276 D. Kirhwood on the Sun-spot of June, 18^. 



numbers. The year 1843 was, however, a minimum epoch of 

 the eleven-year cycle. It would seem, therefore, that the 

 formation of this extraordinary spot was an anomaly, and that 

 its origin ought not to be looked for in the general cause of the 

 spots of Schwabe's cycle. 



As having a possible bearing on the question under consider- 

 ation let us refer to a phenomenon observed at the same 

 moment, on the first of September, 1859, by Mr. Carringtnn. 

 at Redhill, and Mr. Hodgson, at Highgate. "Mr. Carriri':;^'-' 

 had directed his telescope to the sun, and was engagdl h 

 serving his spots, when suddenly two intensely lum 

 bodies burst into view, on its surface. They mo'ved -i 

 side through a space of about thirty-five thousand inih-. 

 increasing in brightness, then fading away. In five minute- ■ 

 had vanished. * * * It is a remarkable circumstance, tii; : 

 observations at Kew show that on the very day, and at tb<' 

 hour and minute of this unexpected and curious phenoin* . 

 a moderate but marked magnetic disturbance took place : ..- ■ 

 a storm, or great disturbance of the magnetic element, occiirre'i 

 four hours after midnight, extending to the southern hemi- 



The opinion has been expressed by more than one astronomer 

 that this phenomenon was produced by the fall of meteono 

 matter upon the sun's surface. Now, the fact may be wortbr 

 of note that the comet of 1843, which had the least penhelion 

 distance of any on record, actually grazed the solar atmosphere 

 about three months before the appearance of the great sun-spot 

 of the same year. The comet's least distance from the sun w'a-^ 

 about 65,000 miles. Had it approached but little nearer, the 

 resistance of the atmosphere would probably have brought itj 

 entire mass to the solar surface. Even at its actual distance it 

 must have produced considerable atmospheric disturbance. 

 But the recent discovery that a number of comets are associatea 

 with meteoric matter, traveling in nearly the same orbns. 

 suggests the inquiry whether an enormous meteonte ^ollowm^ 

 in the comet's train, and having a somewhat less pe"^^^,^^^^ 

 distance, may not have been precipitated upon the sun, t ji» 

 producing the great disturbance observed so shortly alter 

 comet's perihelion passage. 



