54 OBSERVATIONS ON THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. 



No. 2T. 



JULY 7 tli, 1853 : MORNING. 



Lat. at 3 o'clock, 32= 3C,' N.: Lon. 137^ 26' E. 



Sun rose 5/t. 2m. 

 Stronger Light at 3k. Diffuse at mHniglit and 3/i. 



My observations at half-past 12, yesterday morning, led me to attach more importance to appearances noticed 

 several evenings before at 10 and 11 o'clock namely, something like the Zodiacal Light in the ro.sY, at tliosc early 

 hours. I had not recorded them, as I gave them little weight. Last evening, however, I turned In the east, at 9 

 o'clock, and took note of the appearances; though, from their v : cini;y to the horizon, I think nothing decided can lie 

 drawn from them. Still they are worthy of remark. The outline of this Light lor 9 1 ' 30 is given in the chart. Its 

 upper part was lost in the Milky Way. 



At II' 1 30 m p. m., I went on deck for another examination of the same; an:l continued observing till midnight, at 

 which time its outline was taken, as in the chart. This Light at 00, 01, 02, 9o, an 1 05 Aquirii, was as strong 

 as that about 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 10 Sigittre (just above Delp'iinus). Daring these observations, I was 

 inclined to confidence that this was the true Zodiacal Light; but, when I went on deck again, at '2 1 ' 30 ra a. m., and 

 saw the undoubted Zodiacal Light stretching up in the sky, I thought I could see a diffeience; the hitter looking 

 soft and gauzy, unlike the hard look of the former. I have, however, given the boundaries of all from O h 30"' to 3 h 

 a. in. 



The dim sky under the Milky Way was the same a ; yesterday morning-. 



[P. S., 1856. It will be seen from this journal, that this light in the east was seen subsequently on several nights 

 (July 9th, &c.) I finally came to the conclusion, from its pos'tion, that it was not the Zodiacal ! ight (in this 

 I Avas mistaken) ; and although, during the next year, I saw it repeatedly in the evening at the same hours i. e. 

 about 9 or 10 o'clock I made no record of it, which I now greatly regret. I was iiarful that I mjght embarrass 

 the true observations by others, of what was not truly Zodiaeal Light ; but w! o shall say what is and what is not 

 truly such? Therefore, nothing that seems to have a possible connexion with the subject is too small or too slight 

 to be noted. 



It is possible that this nebulous matter, whatever it is, is sell-luminous, and thus gave me this light in the east; 

 but, more probably, it was still a reflection from the sun.] 



