80 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



the solar activity would be more confined to the equatorial regions 

 of the sun, and that when they were furthest removed from the 

 solar equator this activity would extend outwards towards the 

 solar poles. 



It appears to us that in Carrington's diagram there is probably 

 evidence of an action of this kind, due to both of these planets ; and 

 in the Table which accompanies this note, and which has been de- 

 rived in a general manner from Carrington's diagram, it will be seen 

 how closely the minor epochs of solar activity in their approach to 

 the equator agree with the epochs at which Venus crosses the solar 

 equator, and how the solar activity spreads out towards the poles 

 at those times when Venus is farthest removed from the solar 

 equator*. 



The influence of Jupiter and a more searching investigation into 

 that of Venus will occupy our earliest attention. 



It will be seen from a late circular of M. Chacornac, that he has 

 drawn attention to Carrington's curve of latitude and to the minor 

 sinuosities, without, however, giving the above explanation. 



Lastly, we may state that we are led by our investigations to the 

 conclusion that solar activity, as shown in the phenomena of sun- 

 spots, would not exist but for planetary motion, any more than cer- 

 tain physical phenomena of the planets would be produced without 

 solar influence. 



Times of Nearest Approach of Venus to the Solar Equator, and 

 of crossing it. 



1 



1854 



Between 



January 5 



and 



January 



10 



2 





55 



April 26 



>> 



May 



1 



3 





Si 



August 17 



ss 



August 



23 



4 





>> 



December 6 



>} 



December 



12 



5 



1855 



>> 



March 30 





April 



4 



6 





i) 



July 20 



>> 



July 



24 



7 





JS 



November 10 



>> 



November 



14 



8 



1856 





February 29 



a 



March 



5 



9 





)) 



June 22 





June 



26 



10 





Si 



October 1 1 



a 



October 



16 



11 



1857 



}> 



February 1 



ss 



February 



6 



12 





S> 



May 24 



ss 



May 



28 



13 





Si 



September 14 



ss 



September 



19 



14 



1858 



SS 



January 4 



a 



January 



8 



15 





55 



April 27 



Si 



May 



1 



16 





55 



August 16 



ss 



August 



21 



17 





SS 



December 7 



}> 



December 



12 



18 



1859 



SS 



March 29 



Si 



April 



' 2 



19 





SS 



July 20 





July 



25 



20 







November 8 



a 



November 



13 



21 



1860 



55 



March 1 





March 



5 



22 





55 



June 20 



a 



June 



25 



23 





55 



October 1 1 



Si 



October 



16 



24 



1861 



S) 



January 3 1 



a 



February 



4 



Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Nov. 9, 1866. 



* A chart accompanied this notice, which will be printed in the series of 

 papers in course of publication by the Authors. 



FEB. 13. 



