Haughton — Unusual Sunrises and Sunsets at close of 1883, 205 



that the moon (though only 27 hours old) was well seen by 

 Cathcart and myself from the roof of the Observatory. 



" We estimated that the twilight lasted certainly for two hours 

 after sunset, and that for ten minutes longer there was still enough 

 light in the western sky to distinguish it from other parts of the 

 horizon. 



" At 2 hours after sunset the sun was 15° 56' below the 

 horizon, and at 2^ 10™ it was 16° 51' below the horizon." 



Observation (3) . — On the 25th December Mr. William Graves, 

 observing at Kingstown, found it was "black night" at 5*30 p.m. 

 This gives 14° 15' below the horizon for the sun's position. 



Observation (4). — Mr. Frederick Haughton, writing from Oar- 

 low, says, of the evening of 30th December : — " I have of course 

 seen a good deal of the after -glow : some evenings the appearance 

 is like the glare of lime-light at a theatre ; the effect on grass or 

 gardens very strange ; with back to west every blade of grass is 

 like fire, a bit of straw like a red hot needle ; but facing the light 

 it is all lurid light and shade. Last night sun set by almanac at 

 3*47 ; here the sun disappears 20 to 25 minutes before, owing to 

 hills ; at 4*30 the glow was splendid ; at 5-10 I could see the 

 second-hand of watch. 1 hour 23 minutes after sunset, or nearly 

 If hour after sun had vanished from us, a planet^ from 4*30 to 

 6 '30 was in the glow; and from 5 to 5*30 was bright emerald 

 green ! " 



Supposing the termination of the phenomena to be at 5'40 p.m., 

 this would correspond to a position of the sun 15° 15' below the 

 horizon. 



1 Venus. 



