HALO. 613 
__ alsothrough K,the pole of theecliptic. They went down 
tothe horizon at N and P, crossing the t white circle 
iquely, so as to make a srsliareapnnst wath parhelion; 
so” seven suns appeared very plain at the same 
time ; and if I could have seen the phenomenon sooner 
from an eminence, I do not question but I should have 
found two more at H and I, which would have made 
nine in all; for there remained in those places such 
marks, as made this suspicion not improbable. 
This most delightful and extraordinary sight lasted 
from, 30 minutes ‘past 10 to 51 minutes past 11; though 
it had not the same appearance all that while, but some- 
_ times one-and sometimes another. It appeared in the 
perfection of this description at about 11 o’clock, and 
then degenerated by degrees. The northern mock sun 
at F vanished first of all, together with a part of its 
circle ; the other parhelia with their arches lasted till 
10 minutes past 11, then the eastern mock-sun, and af= 
ter that the western vanished with both the crosses. 
Soon after this the collateral parhelia C, D suffered se- 
veral changes; sometimes one was brighter than the 
other in light and colours, and sometimes fainter and 
darker. For at 18 minutes past 10 the eastern parhe- 
lion at C vanished, while the western parhelion at B 
remained very conspicuous; and 24 minutes past 11, 
the eastern one was very bright again, and remained 
so, while the western one disappeared at 40 minutes 
past 11 ; although this western one: had almost always 
the longer tail. For the tip of it was frequently ex- 
tended for 30 degrees and sometimes 90 as far as the 
parhelion E ; but the tail of the eastern one C was 
scarce above 20 degrees, At 30 minutes past 11, the 
vertical cirele YXHVZ was destroyed ; but the 
inverted arches H and G, together with the collateral 
parhelia B.and C, continued to the last. 
The scheme of this phenomenon is drawn in the same 
manner as the constellations are drawn upon an artifi- 
cial globe, to be received by the eye on the outside of it. 
Renby this means every thing is represented much 
clearer and distincter. Nevertheless, the place of the 
observer was nearly under the zenith within the circle 
parallel to the horizon ; so that the true sun appeared 
to him in the meridian, the mock sun F in the north, 
and the other two at D and E on each hand. But if 
you desire to have this extraordinary phenomenon re- 
presented a little plainer; upon an artificial globe, whose 
e is elevated to our altitude at Dantzic, with the centre 
A in the 2d of Pisces, where the sun then was, 
and with « semi-diameter of 224 degrees, describe the 
circle GBIC ; 2d, and then the circle YXHVZ with a 
radius of 45 degrees; $d, and with the same centre and 
semi-diameter of 90 degrees, draw the circle NEKDP 
through the two white mock suns, E, D; 4th, and with 
a semi-diameter of 224, the zenith being the centre, 
draw the arch THS; 5th, and also thearch QGR, with 
a radius of 90 degrees, upon the-same centre ; 6th, and 
ey the circle BEF DC, parallel to the horizon, with 
aradius of 90 degrees. And the draught being finished in 
this manner, will appear very beautiful and harmonious.” 
On the 2d January 1586, Christopher Rothman ob-« 
served at Cassel another halo, which he describes in 
the following manner, in his description of a comet seen 
in that year. 
«« Thesky being very clear in the east just before sun- 
rise, there appeared an upright column, exactly situa- 
ted in a vertical circle. Its breadth was every where 
1 to the sun’s diameter; and it looked as if some 
was on fire beyond the mountains. For it ap- 
peared like a column of flame, excepting that its thick~ 
ness was every where the same, 
Soon after, in the same column, there arose an image —_Halw. 
of the sun, exactly resembling the true sun. There was “Vv 
scarce one digit of this image under the horizon, when 
the true sun to rise in the same column, which 
was followed in like manner by another image. The 
column, with its three suns touching one another, con- 
tinued always upright, or in a vertical circle, as ap- 
peared by the plummet of a quadrant, 
These suns had all the same appearance, except that 
the true sun-in the middle was brighter than the rest. 
This appearance of the column passing through three 
suns, lasted almost a quarter of an hour, till they were 
covered by a black cloud descending from above. 
Scheiner observed in 1630, the halo represented in pyalos ob- 
Fig. 3. which is thus described by Gassendi: « The served by 
diameter of the corona MQNE next to the sun, was Scheiner ia 
about 45 degrees; and that of the remoter corona !&- 
ORP, was about 95° 20’; they were coloured like the Prate 
primary rain-bow, but the red was next the sun, and ccLxxxvit 
the other colours in the usual order. The breadths of Fig. 3- 
all the arches were equal to one another, and about a 
pea re less than the diameter of the sun, as repre~ 
sented in the scheme. Though I cannot say but the 
whitish circle OGP parallel to the horizon, was ratlier 
broader than the rest. The two parhelia, M, N were 
lively enough; but the other two at O and P were not 
so brisk ; M and N hada purple redness next the sun, 
and were white in the opposite parts; O and P.were 
all over white. They all differed in their durations. 
For P, which shone but seldom and but faintly, vanish- 
ed first of all, being covered by a collection of pretty 
thick clouds. The parhelion O continued constant for 
a great while, though it was but faint. The two late- 
tal parhelia M and N were seen constantly for three 
hours together: M was in a languishing state, and 
died first, after several struggles; but N continued an 
hour after at least. Though I did not see the last end 
of it, yet I was sure it was the only one that accompa- 
nied the true sun for a long time, having escaped’ those 
clouds and vapours which extinguished the rest. How- 
ever it vanished at last, upon the fall of some small 
showers. This phenomenon was observed to last four 
hours and a half at least ; and since it ap in per- 
fection when I first saw it, I am persuaded its w 
duration might be above five hours. 
The parhelia Q, R were situated in a vertical plane, 
passing through the eye at F, and the sun at G, in 
which vertical the arches CRH, ORP either crossed 
or touched one another. These parhelia were some- 
times brighter, sometimes fainter than the rest; but 
were not so perfect in their shape and whitish colour. 
They varied their magnitudes and colours according to 
the different temperature of the sun’s light at G, and 
the matter that received it at Q and R; and therefore 
their light and colours were almost always fluctua~ 
ting, and continued as it were in a perpetual conflict. 
I took particular notice that they appeared almost the 
first and the last of all the parhelia excepting that 
at N. 
The altitude of Q above the horizon in the morning 
at the beginning of the observation, was 49° 40’ ; that 
of R was 76° 10’; that of the true sun was 28° 30’ ; 
hence the height of Q above the sun was 21° 10’, and 
the height of R above the sun was 47° 40’. 
« There was a north wind at the beginning of these 
observations, but by degrees it changed to the east, and 
at last to the south; yet it brought no very great nor 
lasting rains. For near a fortnight after, the sky look- 
ed always vapourish ; and every day before dinner the 
‘gun endeavoured to create new suns, but in vain, either 
