Mxzsox.—On the recent Sun-glows. " $61 
Fanning's Island in the North Pacific, and at Honolulu on 5th September 
(S. E. Bishop, ** Nature ") ; and the Riverina Star, 8th March, says that 
** recently the sun has been surrounded by a halo, the outer rim being black, 
the inner like a cloud of smoke." In Europe, in December, the moon and 
stars at various times were observed to be green, and the sun white towards 
setting. From 9th to 12th September the sun was green at Trincomalee, 
in Ceylon, till it ascended to the height of 10 degrees above the horizon ; 
later it was blue; at noon, a bright blue; and during its declining similar 
chauges took place, only reversed in order. The moon on or about the 
same dates was similarly tinged (Langley, ** Journal Am. Sci.”). It will be 
well to bear this observation in mind when we examine into the cause or 
causes of the various phenomena. 
There are one or two other points that have been noticed in connection 
with the displays. In the neighbourhood of Timaru and elsewhere a great 
luminosity, almost like a continuation or a revival of the evening glow, has 
been observed in the depth of the night all across the face of the sky round 
about the place of the sun’s setting. This was observed here frequently in 
the months of November, December, and January, at one, two, and even so 
late as three o’clock in the morning. The glow sometimes in these mid- 
night displays extended from horizon to zenith over not the western but the 
southern heavens, and was so brilliant that an observer (Mr. Marsden, of 
Stoke) says he could by means of it easily have read ordinary clear type. 
During the day the sun, even when the sky was cloudless, has been fre- 
quently observed to be surrounded with a whitish glare (Conte California, 
** Nature," 28th February), coronz, or coloured halos. Often it has been 
very hazy. This was noticed by Mr. Hazen, who read a paper on the whole 
subject recently before the Philosophical Society in Washington. Occa- 
sionally also, as at Freiburg on the 11th January, and here in Nelson on 
the 24th of last month, even with a clear sky there has been no glow at all, 
though on the previous day there was a very distinct one ; again, through 
the glow the stars have been distinetly seen, and on the 4th and 5th of 
January there was a ring of 80 degrees in diameter round the moon, and. 
that satellite seemed to be gleaming through watery vapour. Again, on the 
1st December it was observed that the glow did not become bright till a 
full hour after sunset (Hard. Sci. Gos.). Some observers, too, have noticed - 
a large and striking eoloured arc, pink or erimson, opposite the sun at the 
time of the glow. Furthermore, it is recorded that the eirrus-like wisps of 
cloud on which the sunset phenomena appeared in November and December 
disappeared altogether or became very faint and large pedo the com- 
mencement of the current year. 
