Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-09-06

10 say. that far We have seen his prudent rpan-
assms s srSs. real and un'irng Industry are worthy
oil puohc appreciation. Belle Fonfaine Gas.
THE SOLAR PHENOMENA.
We are obliged to respectable friend in Alexandra
Tor the following interesting observations upon the late
extraordinary appearances connected with the Sum-
ALEXANDRIA BOARDING SCHOOL,,
18Th month, goth, 1881. !
Friends Gales y Sedt0n: In compliance with the
In your paper received to day. send you the
following views respecting the very unusual not
amped appearance OF the SUM- observed few days since
10 understand the phenomena alluded 10, it will be
necessary TO make few preliminary observations. Dur
ing the great total eclipse OF the that had recently
taken place, the moon had just passed its perigree,
that point in its orbit the EARTH aud
~ the combined action OF the and upon the
atmosphere produced great tide in the equatorial
gions, and diminished the the air upon the
whole OF the surface OF the EARTH This dminution Of
pressure upon the surface oil the water would occasion
great increase OF evaporation particularly when unit
ed with the high temperature that accompanied IT, For
1t is an established fact, that the amount OF evaporation
from an uninsua,ed surface of depends upon the
elevation oil temperature and dimnuion OF pressure.
vast quantity OF vnpor thus raised very observable
on The evening oil the 18th instant, at considerable
elevation in the Western part OF the heavens and
tinued TO reflect very red light for long time after
the sun had set.
| The appearance of the heavens on the morning Of
the 18th did not observe; but about midday the
shining through this body OF vapour had svery APP
pearaDce similar to that which il wears when shining
through vanishing fog, and observed il 10 give
unusually CHASTITY appearance TO the countenances oil
persons. Between three and four o'clock, the position
of the with respect 10 this body of vapor becoming
changed, il assumed greensh blue appearance pre-
cisely similar TO that produced by the following expert
mens, and which in my opinion dependent upon
the same Let a screen upon which the spec
rum produced by the separation OF the solar beam into
Its primitive coors by glass prism = THROWN be per-
torated SO as TO let all except the red ray ld upon
double convex lens and be converged focus, the
result will be representation of the sun of creensb
blue color. exactly such as il observed TO have al
the time alluded TO. The color is that resulting from
the combination OF all the primitive colours except the
red, and Is denomnated in optics the opposite color.
The ian'h experiment may be perform I'd nors fani-
liafy, thus Pace red wafer upon white W ALL and
look a, IL iaienly with eye for some me thsn lei
the eye rect, without eh effort a, seeing upon the
wall, AMI spot, tho size Of the wafer OF gre en,i
blue color, will be pereevsd TIE explanation 10, tbA
the reiina, through the action upon tby the red Hgb
from h' wsier becomes irsensi6e 10 tie red ray in
mat part upon which the image OF The wafer rested
and hence the color produced upon that pa,t OF tho re
una will be the one resulting tom the conbinaion q
the other six.
The greenish blue color Of the cum, then, think
depended upon the red rays being reflected by the in
erveniHg body OF vapOr, while the other elk passed o
opinion was strengthened by two fact. ob,erv.
ed at tho time. passed the suns ray through ,
pri.m, and while the yellow green, blue, indigo, aut
Vioi'i co'oss appeared with thsT propsronsic bfigh
mss. the orange va considers ably less distinct, and
the red muck less than the orange.
Ano,hef corroboIanvs fact was, thi', as the sun de-
cendeo oeoH tue body oil vspor, which about 81.
teen or twenty minutes before its setting the vapor re.
h'eted an intensely red lighi-The gh, tina, pass.
Iu'ousu " WAS 'hefeiCre separate from the red, ant
would have produced the opposite or greensh blue ap
pearancs.
The spot ina, was observed, ia by DO means an un
usual thing upon the suns disc. IL visible to IN,
unprotected eye, merely in consequence OF ,be dimi
nlshsd brightness Of the By aid OF TELESCOPE
considerable number OF pots visible. 10 ihc
summer OF 1916, spoi was visible tue Taxed ey,
for eight or ten days ia succession.
III the above rsmarks are any way satisfactory Il
you, it wi! b. a srAu6esiion 10
. Your sinssrs friend,
q - BENJAMIN IIALLOWEIJ
~ evident that as The air partially supported by