152 Aurora and Sunset 



the State of Illinois, the radiations are described as being even 

 more beautiful and splendid than in this part of the state. 

 From two individuals in distant parts of Illinois, I have received 

 particular notices of the brilliancy of this visio?i, as compared 

 with our own, by those who have admired it in both states. On 

 the evening of July 4th, 1839, the sunset was splendid here, and 

 more so in Illinois. An engineer in the middle of the state says, 

 " the radiations like those of July 4th were not uncommon, at 

 least in the summer of 1838, I noticed the appearance many 

 times, and called the attention of others to it. Some facts are 

 obvious. It never occurred before sunset, but from three to ten 

 minutes after, and generally about five, and lasted from three to 

 ten minutes — perhaps none of it ever remaining fifteen minutes 

 after the sun had gone down. The radiations differed in breadth 

 when compared one with another, and each increased in width 

 with the distance from the sun, being one, two, or three, and 

 perhaps four apparent diameters of the sun in breadth at the 

 lowest visible part of the horizon. The color is generally pale 

 yellow or straw color. Sometimes three radiations lie nearly 

 along the horizon, diverging but little from it, of a reddish or rose 

 color, and the more central radiations violet or bluish, not very 

 vivid, but well defined, for the background seems always whi- 

 tish. The central radiations sometimes extend nearly to the ze- 

 nith, pale and difl'used at the upper part, and generally from 30° 

 or 40° to 60° long. Sometimes they occur on three successive 

 days ; when there has been little of storm for months ; atmosphere 

 very clear, and few clouds, and the sky too blue and brilliant to 

 look at. The whole is beautiful. The sunsets are the most gor- 

 geous that I ever beheld, and the hues upon the clouds are brilliant 

 beyond description or comparison," No reflection from waters 

 can account for these splendid appearances of nature. 



