Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-23
TINE BRILLIANT SUNSETS.
What Causes them-Their Character
and Signification.

There are many peculiar ideas floating
in the newspapers about the beautiful
coloring Of the evening sky after sunset.
In Santa Barbara it wss supposed by
some that ship at sea was on fire,
while other journals said it was the har-
binger of an earthquake, others that it
was a sign Of war. A Los Angeles
savant called it the Zodiacal light, to
which 1t has no resemblance. The Zo-
diacal light is not very noticeable at this
season Of the year in the evening. In
the spring the solar system appears to
pass through cosmical matter which is
illuminated by the esun, and forms beauti-
full cone of light, visible at sunset and
for long time afterwards. following
after the sun, and in October, November
and December, preceding the sun in the
morning, the same thing is repeated.
The peculiar tints in our evening sky
are caused by the condensed vapor OF the
atmosphere, which is slowly precipitated
as the temperature of the day declines.
II sunlight is transmitted through a
glass prism at different hours Of the day,
it will be seen that the spectrum changes
with the altitude OF the sun. As the
sun approaches the horizon, the violet
part of the spectrum contracts and slow
ly disappears, while the red end Of the
spectrum remains. The violet rays
being the most refrangible and timid,
have little power 10 tackle and penetrate
the dense, dusty, smoky vaporous at
mosphere near the horizon, while the
robust red rays are then in their glory,
and make red spectrum Of the vapor
that is invisible, and to the clouds that
float around and above the amber
couch of the retiring god of day. When
this invisible vapor is very dense. the
amber even disappears, and the sun
itself is of deep red color.
Several times during the past week
the vapors were so variable that the
violet rays reappeared after having been
extinguished by the density of the
vapor. and then vanished as before, be.
ing 'vanquished by the dust, smoke and
vapor in the atmosphere. The sight was
very beautiful and instructive, and
we trust tho teachers in our institutions
OF learning will make these beautiful
sunsets a text for some lectures on opti
cal astronomy.
In the morning the case is different
The heat Of the rising sun dissipates the
vapors, and amber crowned with violet
comes forth in shining glorysexcept wher
storm Of rain or snow is imminent
when the sunrise is seen through vapol
50 dense that the sun is unable to dissi
pate it, and the eastern sky is bright
with redness and rainbows. At sucl
times mariners take in sail and trim
their ships for trouble, and farmers hurry
their crops into barns in the summer
and their cattle and sheep to shelter il
winter.
But when, in evening, great storm il
approaching from the west, although in
visible, the strong undercurrent, or winC
of aspiration, is drawn from the east to
wards the storm, arresting the descend
ing Sapor, SO that no red sky is seen il
the west in the face of an approaching
storm, but deadly pale, spiritless yel
low prevails around the setting sun
This fact has been noticeable, that a red
sunset sky is token of pleasant wealth
er, while red sunrise is the symbol o.
storm, by weather observers for esntu
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