THE LATE PECULIAR SUNSETS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2317, 31 January 1884, Page 2

THE LATE PECULIAR SUNSETS.

[From the Home News.] The curious solar phenomena already mentioned as occurring at Ceylon about the time of the earthquake in Java seem to have been observed pretty well all over the world. A green sun on the coast of Africa, a blue in the West Indies, in South America a silver sun, white as the moon, these are the strange sights reported now that more general accounts have been received. England and more northern regions have also their story to tell. Georgeous sunrises and sunsets, with the sky aflame lonobefore and after the ordinary have been the rule for some weeks past. As usual, tnis peculiar appearance has been variously accounted for. Some talked of the aurora borealis; others, more imaginative, saw in these bloodied skies potents and warnings of coming trouble. The winter, barely commenced as yet, was to be unusually hard; wars, sanguinary and continuous were imminent; one mad prophet predicted an earthquake, which was to destroy London on Tuesday, December i. But now the scientists have stepped in with a perfectly lucid explanation. The unusual atmospheric effects so generally visible are due, it is said, to the diffusion of volcanic dust in the air far above the highest clouds. It is believed that the particles of pumice weie shot up from the Java eruption to an enormous height, f.r : .J.ov e the action cl vapour ana. wcaiu.r, ..ad so dissemia-

ated all over the world. As each particle is a small bubble of gas, the presence of these in the atmosphere would no doubt affect the colour of the solar rays as transmitted earthwards from the sun. [This we always held to be the true cause, and the showers of red sand experienced in some parts of Australia would be similar particles of pumice brought down by rain clouds.— Ed. K T.]