Historia y filosofía de la física

 

An early comment on the sunspot–climate connection

 

S. Galindoª and A. Saladino^b

 

ª Departamento de Física, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Km 36.5, carretera México–Toluca

^b Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Cerro de Coatepec, Toluca México.

 

Recibido el 27 de agosto de 2008
Aceptado el 13 de octubre de 2008

 

Abstract

In 1784, a remark on the possible relationship between sunspots and climate was published by the Mexican astronomer and meteorologist Jose Antonio Alzate. In this paper we wish to note that Alzate was perhaps the first 18th century scientist to suggest the possible relation between sunspots and the Earth's weather, thus preceding William Herschel's 1801 scientifically reasoned statement on this matter, the latter widely regarded as the earliest ever made.

Keywords: Alzate; History of Science; Sunspots

 

Resumen

En 1784 un comentario sobre la posible relación entre las manchas solares y el clima fue publicado por José Antonio Alzate, astrónomo y meteorólogo mexicano. En este trabajo queremos notar que Alzate fue quizás el primer científico del siglo XVIII en sugerir la posible relación entre manchas solares y el clima terrestre, de manera que precedió la afirmación hecha en 1801 por William Herschel sobre este mismo tema, citandose ampliamente la de Herschel como la primera afirmación científicamente razonada sobre el tópico.

Descriptores: Alzate; historia de la ciencia; manchas solares.

 

PACS: 01.65.+g;96.60.qd

 

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully express our appreciation to the librarians of the various institutions that have kindly helped us to retrieve past documents, in particular to librarians of the Hemeroteca Nacional, UNAM, for most of Alzate's related manuscripts, and to those of the Centro de Información y Documentación Nuclear, ININ. We value the comment of an anonymous reviewer for bringing to our attention reference 12 of this work.

 

References

1. D.V. Hoyt & K.H. Schatten, "The Role of the Sun in Climate Change" (Oxford University Press New York, 1997).        [ Links ]

2. W. Wei–Hock Soon & S.H. Yaskell, "The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun–Earth Connection" (World Scientific Publishing Co. Singapore, 2007) p. 206.        [ Links ]

3. William Herschel, Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. London 91 (1801) 265.        [ Links ]

4. William Herschel, Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. London 91 (1801) 354.        [ Links ]

5. When Herschel presented his papers to the Royal Society, Lord Brougham scoffed and called it "a grand absurdity" and went on to say that "[s]ince the publication of Gulliver's voyage to Laputa, nothing so ridiculous has ever been offered to the world". Henry Brougham, [Lord Brougham and Vaux]. "Critique" in The Edinburgh Review, January 1803. Francis Jeffrey editor. Edinburgh, Scotland. In this "critique", Brougham refers to the episode in "Gulliver's Travels" where Gulliver takes notice of the anxiety of the Laputian "learned men", who see that "The face of the sun will by degrees be encrusted with its own ef fluvia, and give no more light to the world". Gulliver's Travels was published anonymously in October, 1726 by Jonathan Swift. The excerpt was taken from J. Swift "Gulliver's Travels" Riverside Press 1960, p. 132.        [ Links ]

6. W. Herschel (1805) Letter from William Herschel, Esq., F.R.S. to Johann E. Bode. Published as "Aus einem Schereiben des Herrn Doctor Herschel, datiert Slough bei Windsor der May 1804". Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch, p. 242, Berlin. As quoted in reference 1 p. 49. Reference 1 makes a mistake in its main text by asserting that the letter was published in the Philosophical Transactions. The erratum is corrected later on, in its bibliography in p. 247 of the same book.        [ Links ]

7. J.A. Alzate (1784) (without heading) Gazeta de México N° 23 (1784) 191.         [ Links ] Also reprinted with an added heading "Observancian –sic– sobre la luz" [Comment on Light] in a recompilation of his Works under the title "Gacetas de Literatura de México", edited in 1831.         [ Links ] Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p. 349. The spelling "gazeta" and "gaceta" was used indistinctly at that time.        [ Links ]

8. The book by Hoyt and Schatten (see reference 1 page 107) mentions a comment made in 1729 by J.B. Wiedenburg of Helm–stadt on the influence of sunspots on climate. No supplementary indication of the scientific motive or context of Wieden–burg's commentary is given there, nor is the original reference specified.

9. Heinrich Schwabe, Astronomische Nachrichten 21 (1844) 233.         [ Links ] See also Helen Sawyer Hogg, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada 42 (1948) 42, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1948JRASC..42...42S        [ Links ]

10. See Chaps. 3 and 4 in Ref 2.

11. J.A. Eddy, Science 192 (1976) 1189.        [ Links ]

12. Juerg Beer, Proc. XXVIII ICRC 8 (2003) 373.        [ Links ]

13. D.V. Hoyt & K.H. Schatten, Solar Phys. 181 (1998) 14.        [ Links ]

14. J.M. Vaquero, Solar Phys. 219 (2004) 379.        [ Links ]

15. J.M. Vaquero, R.M. Trigo, M.C. Gallego, and M.A. Moreno Corral Solar Phys 240 (2007) 165.        [ Links ]

16. See for example Kerry Emanuel, "What we Know about Climate Change" Boston Review Books (The MIT Press, Boston, USA 2007).        [ Links ]

17. For a biography of Alzate see for example: A. Saladino El Sabio José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez de Santillana (in Spanish) UAEM, México, 2001).        [ Links ]

18. According to R. Moreno, the journal was suppressed by the authorities based on the claim that the newspaper "contained offensive and indecorous propositions to law and nation ". In Roberto Moreno (1980) Jose Antonio Alzate, Obras in the "Introducción" Vol. 1 p. xii, UNAM, México (in Spanish).        [ Links ]

19. The title of this Journal "Observaciones sobre Física, Historia Natural y Artes útiles" reproduces the title of the French Journal "Observations sur la Physique, sur L 'Histoire Naturelle et sur les Arts" published and distributed in the same epoch by its editor, J.F. Rozier. Note by R. Moreno (1980) Jose Antonio Alzate, Obras Vol. 1 p. 27, UNAM, México.        [ Links ]

20. For details on journal censorship in the Spanish Colonies see for example A. Saladino (1996) Ciencia y Prensa durante la Ilustracion Latinoamericana UAEM, México.        [ Links ]

21. J.A. Alzate (1773) (without heading) "Asuntos varios sobre ciencias y Artes" Jan 4 issue, Also reprinted with an added heading "Utilidad de las observaciones meteorológicas" [         [ Links ]"Value of Meteorological Observations"] in a recompilation of his Works under the title "Gacetas de Literatura de México", (1831) Vol. IV p. 191.         [ Links ] Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México. The original text in Spanish is: "La observacion esacta á –sic– que esta sujeto el aire de nuestra atmósfera, asi —sic– en su gravedad y ligereza, como el la sequedad, humedad, calor y frio –sic–, es una ocupación –sic– muy divertida para el que la ejecuta, y útilísima para todos los hombres: estas observaciones nos instruyen para poder predecir con alguna verosimilitud el tiempo que se prepara, y los buenos ó –sic– malos efectos que pueden experimentarse respecto de la salud. Los instrumentos hasta el dia —sic– conocidos para esta observacion —sic–, son el barómetro, termómetro, hidrómetro y una grimpola ó veleta."

22. J.A. Alzate (1784.) (without heading) Gazeta de México, in the Afterword N° 48, p. 58. Also reprinted in a recompilation of his Works under the title "Gacetas de Literatura de México", edited in 1831. Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. I p. 421. The original text in Spanish is: "Observaciones meteorologicas continuadas por [mi por] mas de veinte años" [Meteorological observations performed [by me] for more than twenty years].        [ Links ]

23. J.A. Alzate (1769) (without heading) Gazeta de México, p. 54. Also reprinted with the added heading "Observación –sic–meteorological", in a recompilation of his Works under the title "Gacetas de Literatura de México", edited in 1831. Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p. 419.        [ Links ]

24. J.A. Alzate (1773) Op. cit. in Ref. 20.

25. J.A. Alzate (1789) "Observaciones Físicas Ejecutadas por D. José de Alzate en la Sierra Nevada, situada al Estsudeste –sic– respecto de Mégico –sic–, á –sic– la distancia de quince leguas" [Physical observations performed by Jose de Alzate in the Sierra Nevada, situated East–by–South–East of México, at a distance of five leagues] Gaceta de Literatura. No. 14, Feb. 28. Reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. I pp. 99        [ Links ]

26. J.A. Alzate (undated) Gazeta de México. Reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p. 398        [ Links ]

27. J.A. Alzate (undated) Gazeta de México. Reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p. 414.

28. J.A. Alzate (undated) Gazeta de México. Reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p. 434.

29. J.A. Alzate (1795) "Medios de que se pueden valer los hombres para prevenir calamidades" Gaceta de Literatura, June 17. Reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. III p. 463. The original text in Spanish is: "... ocurramos, pues á —sic– lo experimentado en los tiempos anteriores para logar una casi inferencia de lo que debamos experimentar en lo sucesivo... tengo registrados los archivos públicos para ver si me mostraban algunos datos seguros... no hay alguna constancia de datos que dirijan en este espinoso laberinto... Por lo que suplico á —sic– los amantes á —sic– la humanidad me informen si en algún —sic– rincón –sic– se halla la serie de valores a que se ha vendido las semillas en un dilatado tiempo: este sera la brújula segura por donde se venga á –sic– conocer á –sic– poco mas o menos el periodo en que nuestra atmósfera nos presenta los mismos efectos.        [ Links ]

30. J.A. Alzate (1770) "Eclypse de luna del doce de diciembre de mil setecientos sesenta y nueve anos observado en la Imperial Ciudad de México y dedicada al Rey nuestro Señor" [Lunar Eclipse of December 12 1769 observed in the Imperial City of México and dedicated to the King our Lord] Joshep Jauregui, Calle de San Bernardo, México. Reprinted under the title "Eclipse de luna del doce de diciembre de mil setecientos sesenta y nueve, observado en la capital de México" in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p.62. This document reveals the concern that Alzate had in the measurement of parameters such as barometric pressure and atmospheric temperature during his astronomical observations. In this work he reports that during the eclipse "el barómetro y el termómetro no tuvieron alteración especial". [The barometer and thermometer did not have a particular change at all].

31. J.A. Alzate (1769) "Sobre el paso de Mercurio por el disco del Sol" [         [ Links ]On the passage of Mercury by the Solar disc] Gazeta de México, November 9. Reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. IV p. 426.

32. The observation of the Transit of Venus is mentioned in several manuscripts, among them: "Elogio Histórico del Dr. D. José Ignacio Bartolache" [Historical Elegy for Dr. D. Jose Ignacio Bartolache] Gaceta de Literatura, August, 3, 1790. Also an allusion appears in "Estado de la geografía de la Nueva Espana y modo de perfeccionarla" [Situation of the Geography in New Spain and a way to improve it] "Asuntos varios sobre ciencias y artes" December 7,1772. Both documents reprinted in Gacetas de Literatura de México, edited in 1831 Oficina del Hospital de San Pedro, Miguel Buen Abad editor, Puebla, México, Vol. 1 P. 409 and Vol. IV, p 123 respectively.        [ Links ]

33. Alzate is referring to two separate passages in the book by Pliny the Elder (Caius Plinius Secundus), entitled "Naturalis Historia" (Latin for "Natural History") written circa 77 A.D. The first extract appears in Book II, Chapter 30 "Eclipses of the sun also take place which are portentous and unusually long, such as occurred when Caesar the Dictator was slain, and in the war against Antony, the sun remained dim for almost a whole year ". Here Pliny clearly refers to events different from an eclipse, due possibly to an abundance of sunspots. The second passage turns to be an episode from book VII chapter XLVI: "The misfortunes of Augustus... the pestilence in Rome Citie, the famine and drought universally through Italie ". The remarkable insight of Alzate, is that he correlates both episodes in Pliny's books. Quotations taken from "The Natural History" Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street (1855).        [ Links ]

34. L.A. Pustilnik and G. Yom Din (2004) "Space Climate Manifestation in Earth Prices – from Medieval England up to Modern U.S.A." Solar Phys. Vol. 224 pp. 473–481. In this paper the authors claim that the wheat prices revealed "a maximum/minimum price asymmetry consistent with the phases of the sunspot cycle".        [ Links ]