The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-23

y
Denyer's Mesa-Degs. I
sssv RECENT SINGULAR LUNAR PhhsoMnSvs
AN EXPLANATION OF VT By ho'A' '''e
1878.
From the Denver Trbuue' February io.h,
Had the State OF Colorado been shaksn
and shattered BY sn earthquakes nsa we
deadly simeon swept up from na.hy ,iop'.
chimes to the arctic atmosphere OF Tue lnans,
had a calamity the most dire ianen uFon we
city: whatever by accident or rIo,uen..
h"a .essr rn Denyer..tbe people could not
have had theme more prolific Of discussion
han ,hs, which was furnished by the SIM
cniar yet p,essing eccentricities OF the moon
on Moudsy night.
THE scene grew upon the eye with magic
charm. Tbe moon IN fuil.ofbed splendor
serenelv smiled behind q mystic veil. ana
her nrescnce was bailed with only the usual
oIad welcome. But, suddenly, and with
surprisa. her admirers discovered two bright
snois. one to the right and one TO the lett,
a. n two sister moons had come 10 add lus-
ire 10 the programme a an evenings bril-
liant entertainment. Then came f0rtb IRON
the misty realm q gorgeous halo enc'rchng
the face OF the moon, giving place IN us
circle 10 her fair companions. Tben came
stealing on the vision great boii-
zonial belt OF reflected rays. encirclipg tbe
| zenith and crowning mountains and plains
with wreath OF tight. Within this belt
another bright spot and then another APP
Deared-One in the west and one In the
north. Then. IN the centre OF this circle III
The zenith, came forth large rainDow' col
ored crescent, with The convex side toward
the noon, and the picture was complete-a
.erand spectace-an entertainment IN when
the elements, the planets, and the principal
OF The great solar system OF the universe
took conspicuous part Tor our especiai peu'
eft and free OF charge. Though fully APP
prcciaiing the points In the only soiut'oh-
that ihe phenomenon was dlrectiy que W
peculiar atmospheric condIlions-a reporter
Of the Tribune Yesterday obtained IRON
Professors Il. a. Howe and q. Ii. super, OF
the Denver University, the Ioiio"iGg oNpia'
natie8:
The princinal features OF Monday eye-
nin0's exhibition were the white circles
passing through the moon parallel to the
horizon. the balo surrounding the moon
and intersec,ng the white circle, the Zee
ianrular cross, OF whose centre was the
moon. and the mgny-cOlored line near the
zenith. The sky had a milky appearance,
beinp unite white in spots where the Thick
est. This milky appearance was caused by
the presence OF large numbers OF the ice-
CRYSTALS which make up sn0WflikeS. These
CRYSTALS are generally in the form OF honey
bees cell, or, in scientific Dbraseology,
right beXagonal prism, and, just as triangu-
| lar glass prisms, they have the property
of resolving white light into its primary
colors. The halo surrounding the moon
| (bayin0 q radius OF about twenty degrees)
WIS red Oh the inner edge, its outer edge
being an iI-defned white. This bao was
| formed by the rcfraetion Of the light passing
through the ice crystals, in the same general
manner as rainbows are formed, though IN
the latter case the reflection Of the light
| from the rain drops in potent cause, the
white horizontal circle. called the parhelic
circle, passing through ice prisms whose
angles were right angles. Any one having
a good geometrica Imagination can
see that the upper portions OF these
CRYSTALS of ice would constitute such
prisms, Stree their bases form right
angles with their faces. When the
moon attained an altitude little greater
| than thirty degrees this beautiful lune dis
appeared, since the moonlight could not
pass through so great a refracting angle UNI
| less it entered the prism in a certain dlrec-
ton-a small deviation which destroys the
| DONNbss nv ibO'NnNh va
these circles as they followed the moon
were very marked. At a quarter to 10 the
parhelc circles passed just above the dog
star Sirius and Beteleueuse, the bright
orange star in the lower right hand por-
ton OF The constellation OF Orion. AT 10 the
circle ob>cured the sword-handle and great
nebull in Orion, and at ten minutes
to III almost all traces Of the beaut-
full phenomena had disappeared. As the
crystals slowly fall through the almost here
they take that position which will least i'm
pede their mOtion-that is, they tend TO fall
end downward, so that their sides are per-
pendicular to the horizon; the sides (since
the crystals are not transparency are capable
of rfheciiDg light which falls upon them;
hence we see these crystals which are III
such part OF the sky that the moons light
falling upon them is reflected TO our eyes.
| These CRYSTALS are the ones which make
up the parhelic circle. Where The par
hello circle was intersecled by the halo
the increased intensity Of the light gave rise
to the biilliancy Of the moon-dogs," which
were situated there. The cross In whose
centre the moon was is more difficult to ac
count for, aud its vertical piece is probably
| caused by the reflection OF the moons light
| from the heXagonsl bases OF the ice crystals
as they fall with these bases parallel TO the
horizon. The beautiful lune in the zenith
was caused by the reiraciion OF the moons
rays.
AS to the details, both OF causes and ef-
! fleets, the reporter called on DR.. Ki6bee and
obtained acursOry explanation rs to The de-
tails OF both cause and effect. The lunar
rainbow was caused By the reflection of the
sun on the surface OF the moon and then
reflected into the frosty atmosphere. The
| bright spots to the right and left OF the
moon were produced by The intersection Of
the large or horizontal circle with the lunar
rainbow. From these points Of llumina-
ton the reelected rays produced the spots
upon the great circle in the west and in the
north.
a Letter from Edwin Booth.
| baltimore SUM-