THE LATE PECULIAR SUNSETS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3831, 26 October 1883, Page 4

THE LATE PECULIAR SUNSETS.

About a fortnight ago it will be remembered that on two or three nights the sunBets wero remarkably beautiful, and wore observed to bo of the same nature throughout tho colony. Tho same thing was noticed in Australia, and under tho above heading the Victorian Government astronomer writes as follows in the Argus: —

"Sir,—Tho beautiful sunsets, accompanied by a strong red glow in the western sky, which havo lately prevailed seem _to havo been universal throughout Australia. The sunrises also, whenever it has been clear, especially inland, have been of tbe samo character, and correspondence has boon received at the observatory from nearly all quarters upon this subject. Several reports of tho experience of auroras in the western sky have been received at the observatory, but in fact thcro have been no signs or auroras, and terrestrial magnetism has been moderately quiescent. "A somewhat favorite speculation is that it is in somo way connected with the lato volcanic eruptions in the Straits of Sunda, and that the reel glare is produced by the illuminations of volcanic dust, or something of the kind, iv the upper regions of the atmosphere. It is well known that dust is frequently raised to great altitudes by atmospheric and terrestrial disturbances, and it has been seen covering large areas from 15,000 ft to 20,000 ft high, and has sometimes boon carried immense distances by aerial currents. It is, however, difficult to imagine that a purely local volcanic outburst, liko that near .Java, should project enough dust or other matter to pervade tho atmosphere covering an area over which the peculiar red sunsets have been seen of l a t Q —over nearly all Australia in fact. " On the third evening of its occurrence, I examined the light carefully with a spectroscope. As I expected tho spectrum was remarkable for the great breadth of what are known as telluric of atmospheric lines, especially of those shown by M. Jamison to bo duo to aqueous vapour in certain conditions in the higher strata of our atmosphere, and 1 was satisfied at tho timo that tho cause of the gorgeous sunset was simply a,peculiar hydrojnetric condition of those regions, and I still believe this to be tho explanation. " SuchsunsetsinthoNorthernHemisphere are often regarded by old sailors us portending a period of broken and stormy weather, and indicate anywhere the existence of a large amount of aqueous vapour in the higher regions of the atmosphere. AVhothcr, as lam inclined to think, they will bo found on this occasion to point to a period of stormy and wet weather, which wo naturally look for about this season, especially in the southern parts of Australia, will soon bo determined. I may also point out that this is the season when tho zodiacal light is often at_ its brightest, and has, in fact, been very bright nearly every night since the red sunsets have'been noted ; this, while adding nothing to the colour, has certainly added to the light of the evening sky, and intensified the red glow.—-I am, kc, "Robt. L. J. Elleky. "Observatory, October 4."