Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-03-21
TIE ZoDIAchL LIGHT

TIE tZODiACAL LIGHT!
Almost every person in the country
has probably seen and heard talk of the !
light, which has,besn seen in the west |
ern sky between six and eight o'clock ey..
cry evening, when not cloudy, for about
two weekspast. There are many can-
lectures about H. but no one seems TO
know the cause Of itSome suppose i, to
be the suns, rays refracted, |, as it proceeds
directly from the direction ofthe SUR
Others supposejt 10 be a comet. Tbs
Boston. and Providence papers say that
a cometis to be seen about noon some,
times by the nakdd eye, .inthe Soathess
.ternipart ofthe heavens, Ifseen in lha,
direc,iou at thar time, il would.be in the
southwest in. the evening, about the
same time he light is seen there. And
the conclusion seems the most plausible
that he ''comet" and the "z6diacslllglt"
ara one and the same thing. The wri
ter Of the following article on the sub
iec, is an author Of work on astrOno.
my. ~'', e. y
From the Buffalo Commercial Adv.
ZoDIAcAI LlGHT,-The annual exhibi,
lion, in our western evening sky, of this
unexplained astronomical phenomen, has
. again returned. This light, in appear.
ance, somewhat resembles The tail ofa
comet its form is that Of cone, its base
resting npon the horizon, above the sun,
f from which body il is never found sepa
: rated, and projected upwards, somewhat
! obiquely, among the zodiacal stars Its
} apex is at present, in the constellation
Z. Aries. lris visible every clear evening,
and will so continue for some months TO
come, when not obscnred by the pres
( cnce Of tho moon. II 10 best viewed at
r the close Of twilight. Or. at present,abodt
half past six, from which period tide.
I cresses in height, owing to. the rotary
motion Of the earth, so as soon 10 fall
wholly below the western horizon, in
3 common with that portion Oflhe heavens
. which il occupies. -
3 This light, as already observed, is Of a
{ conical form, il Is much the strongestin
; The centre, and fades away so gradually
D towards the borders, that iis exact out"
line cannot be perfectly trtced. Itva.
:, ries in intensity, in different years, but
!; without tire Observance Of any known
! law; aud although II has Engaged ma ch
oflhe attention of Astronomers, yet it
; has not frequently atlracled lhe attention
of others. II has sometimes been nisla
ken, when seen, fur the light gOf some
] distant conaagraiion; and lat others il has
passed for Tue Aurora Boreslis,. AslrOR.
omical classes, in schools: private stu.
dents, and oil persons, in Short, by. con-
j iiBued ahd careiul observations, for some
lime TO come, may now go .familiarizs
|lhemseIves with The position and appear,
sscs Of this phsHomen6nss to avoid all
subsequent mislskes in repatd toH, y
The cause Of the Zodlacsl Lights un-
.knoWH:'hat il Permanently pertains 10 The
! celestial mechaRismis prove b. its cOn.
stsney, both in time and position, Dom.
inque CassinA, French Astronomer,
| tiFsl noticed this light in 1868, but more
particularly in 1853, and III his research,
ca respecting il, he found il mentioned,
as something remarkable, IN a NalUTal
History. Of Englsnd BY ChildFey, written
about the year 1859. From 1888 IN the,
present time Aslronowefs, have sought,
in vain, asolulion0f the phenomenon u
question. They have learned thai the.
Zqdiacal LighiaIways accompanies i the
sun, appeasingin certain months before
lllal llminaFy, ii the east. und'in others
allarit, ID The west; and that il always
has the same form, Thought differs some
what, as before observed in lls intensi-
r. W. FEASKINtS.
Bnffalo. January 25, 1873