OCCULTATIONS OF STARS BY THE MOON. 413 



was thus hidden from us we might be more fortunate in the case of 

 the emersion the reappearance, that is of the star on the moon's 

 western limb. But it was no use. Two or three times, indeed, 

 the moon shone forth for a minute or two together from through 

 an old cathedral porch-like rent in the intervening wall of cloud, 

 but only to be again obscured ; and thus it continued so tantalis- 

 ingly promising, that we stood to our post until a glance at the 

 clock showed that the moment of emersion was already past, and it 

 was useless waiting or watching any longer. The great object in 

 closely watching these occultations is to observe, with all possible 

 certainty, if there is any distortion or momentary projection on 

 the moon's disc of the planet or star occulted at the instant of 

 immersion and emersion, in order to decide if the moon has an 

 atmosphere or not. We have seen enough, we think, from our 

 own observations during the last five and twenty years, to lead us 

 to the conclusion that such distortion and projection is occasionally 

 to be seen, and that therefore, contrary to the general belief of 

 astronomers, a lunar atmosphere very probably exists, though it 

 may be of greatly less weight and density than our own. Looking 

 over our astonomical note-book, we find that the winter just past 

 let us hope that at this date we may so speak of it was remark- 

 able for two things the almost total absence, namely, of auroral 

 displays, and the exceeding brilliancy of the zodiacal light. We 

 have only two recorded instances of the occurrence of the aurora 

 borealis, both in December, and both but partial, faint, and ill- 

 defined. The zodiacal light, on the contrary, was remarkably 

 bright and noticeable on almost every evening in February and 

 early March, its apex reaching up to and beyond the Pleiades, and 

 with an outline clear and sharply defined as ever was sheaf of the 

 btightest auroral light. So noticeable was it on several occasions, 

 that all the people of the hamlet began to speak about it, and 

 inquire what it could mean, for its perfect quiescence, its appearance 



