THE 

 LONDON, EDINBURGH and DUBLIN 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



[FOURTH SERIES.] 



MARCH 1859. 



XXIII. Lunar Influence on Tempo'ature as connected with Sere* 

 nity of the Sky. By J. Park Harrison, Esq.^ 



[With a Plate.] 



1. A RECURRENCE of phjenomena affecting the tempera- 

 -tjL. ture of the air at corresponding periods of the moon's 

 age having led me to believe that lunar influence was susceptible 

 of a higher degree of proof than had hitherto been attained, 

 tables and curves of mean temperature were constructed for a 

 series of years at Dublin and Greenwich (viz. for the years 

 1836-i6 at Dublin, and 1846-50 at Greenwich), and a careful 

 examination was instituted into the average mean temperatures 

 of the lunation, with results that appeared to be well established 

 for the term of years over which the observations extended. 



It was found that the mean temperature between new moon 

 and first quarter, and at last quarter, was in each case consider- 

 ably lower than the mean temperature at new moon, first quarter, 

 and shortly before last quarter : the third day before first quarter, 

 and the second day after last quarter appearing on the annual 

 mean to be the days of minimum mean temperature; and the 

 second day after first quarter tbe day of maximum mean tempe- 

 raturef. 



Further evidence of lunar influence was then traced in the fre- 

 quent and often alternate recurrence of maximum and miniinuni 

 mean temperatures for the month on tiic same days of the moon's 

 age, or at lesser lunar intervals, during successive lunations, not 



* Communicated by the Author. 



t In ail earlier series of years the maximum is foiiuil to occur on tie 

 day of the (irst quarter. 



Phil. Ma(j. S. 4. Vol. 17. No. 113. March 1859. M 



