PART II. POLAR MAGNETIC PHENOMENA AND TERRELLA EXPERIMENTS. CHAP. V. 



647 



The probability is that these light-phenomena have been intense auroral arcs that were visible 

 in spite of the bright sky; but it is not impossible that this unusual aurora had something to do with 

 the comet. 



126. We will now pass on to the meteorological observations that were made at about the time of the 

 transit, in order to see whether, in those at our disposal, any trace could be found of effects that might 

 reasonably be ascribed to the 

 tail-material of the comet. 



At the outset we must 

 state that a number of obser- 

 vations made at some of the 

 leading observatories, have 

 yielded a negative result. As 

 an instance, a series of bal- 

 loon-observations, where air- 

 samples were taken in high 

 strata, revealed nothing of 

 interest. On the other hand, 

 there are other observers, 

 i who, on the days in question, 

 noted meteorological pheno- 

 mena of a peculiar and unu- 

 sual nature. 



In the Transvaal Ob- 

 servatory's Circular No. 4, 

 of July ii, 1910, there are 

 some particulars given by 

 observers, of phenomena that 

 they saw, from which it would 

 appear that a Bishop's ring 

 was seen. Mr. OTTO MK.N- 

 /F.I.L, of Pretoria, writes: 



.... "At about a quar- 

 ter to seven I looked at the 

 Moon, which was then well 

 up in the sky. I noticed a 

 haze over it, but when look- 

 ing through my glasses it Fig. 242. 

 shone as clear as ever. Some 



clouds were gathered round the Moon at that time, as shown in the first sketch fig. 242. A few minutes after- 

 wards these clouds started moving in a peculiar circular fashion round the Moon (sketch) and continued 

 doing so for at least five minutes until they formed a broad ring round the Moon, as shown in the third 

 sketch. I then went home, but returned at about nine o'clock; the ring had narrowed down, as shown 

 n the fourth sketch. The colours of the ring are described in the sketch. When looking again at the 

 Moon at one o'clock in the morning of the igth May, the ring had narrowed down a little more, as 

 seen in the fifth sketch, and it seems to have remained so." 



Phenomenon as 

 seen 

 6 



on A9>* 

 1310. 



Phenomenon 35 

 seen a 'f about 



Phenomenon as 

 seen at about 



6.54. p m. 

 an l8' h May 

 1310. 



1. Yellowish 



2. airly 



3 Greyish 

 Reddish 



Phenomenon as 

 seen st about 

 I. am 



Phenomenon 



seen it about 

 9pm on May IS* 1910 



