SOLAR HALO. 51 



or more complex halos will be briefl}' described more in detail 

 on the following pages. In the more northerly regions the 

 phenomenon is frequently observed and in so many different 

 forms that but to mention them and to attempt to describe 

 their detail would require a volume. In the polar regions, of 

 course, the atmosphere is always at a low temperature, and 

 consequently the stage is almost alwa}' s set for a demonstration . 



The solar halos on Maj'^ 20th were visible only in the 

 extreme eastern section of the Middle Atlantic States — in 

 fact, so far as can be ascertained, the area from which they 

 could be seen was confined to a region included within a 

 circle having a radius of about 130 miles. Philadelphia 

 was apparently the centre of the circle. Accounts appear- 

 ing in the daily press at that time developed the fact that the 

 halos were visible in New York, Atlantic City, as far south 

 as Baltimore and westward as far as Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. 

 Farther west than this point the phenomenon was, however, 

 much less striking than in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, 

 and doubtless because of its dimness was not generall}' 

 observed as being anything out of the ordinar\-. A twelve 

 year old boy claims to have seen "two rings around the 

 sun " during noon recess in May, at Sodus Point, New York. 

 He could not remember on what day it occurred, however, 

 nor did a careful inquiry develop any further facts or an}' 

 other persons who were as fortunate as this school bo}-. It is 

 consequently impossible to connect the two halos as the same 

 display. 



The halos first attracted attention between 10.00 and 10.15 

 A. M., and from that time rapidly increased in brightness 

 and coloring until about 11.00 o'clock, when the point of 

 greatest brilliancy was reached. During the next twenty or 

 thirty minutes little or no change could be noticed, but at 

 11.30 the circles began to lose lustre, slowly at first, and then 

 more rapidly the wonderful and rare sight faded from view. 



At I r.oo A. M. a series of observations was taken by the 

 writer with an engineers' transit, the results of which are 



