250 OBSERVATIONS ON THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. 



No. 125. 



MARCH 6th, 1854: 7A. 30m., p. ui. 



Lat. 35 26' N. : Lon. 139 42' E. 

 Sun set 5h. 54^m. 



Joint Moon and Sun Zodiacal. Clouds uniformly since last entry (February 25th). The moon quartered to-day, 

 and I was not expecting anything this evening ; but, on going on deck, at half-past 7, and looking up, I was astonished 

 to see the Zodiacal Light fully displayed. It was, no doubt, a joint sun and moon Zodiacal Light, the moon happen- 

 ing, just at that time, to be in a position in which, instead of preventing the sun's Zodiacal Light from being seen by 

 its own effulgence, it made an additional light, which was sufficient to show itself, even amid the strong general moon- 

 light. Though this Zodiacal Light was quite distinct, yet, to add to my certainty, I called two of the quarter- 

 masters, separately, and asked them if they saw any peculiar light in the western quarter of the sky. They (each) 

 saw it at once; and, on my asking them to give its boundaries, the first bounded it as in the chart, which agreed 

 with niy own judgment. The other gave it a wider space, but said that its brighter part was, as I have described, 

 within the limits which I have given it. My own mind was perfectly satisfied that it was clearly a Zodiacal Light. 

 It differed from, the ordinary sun or moon Zodiacal Light, in not being brightest at its lowest end, but was, all the 

 way down, of a pretty uniform brightness. It was quite distinct. The upper end was lost in the moon's superior 

 light. The night was then very clear. When I came up again, at 8" 30'", the sky was rather hazy, and nothing 

 of this could be made out. 



