Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-06-13
eureka DaiIp Sentinel.
SUNDAY. JUNE IS. 1886.
RED SUNSETS.

It will perhaps be remembered by
some Of our readers that after the APP
pearance Of the remarkable red sunsets
in the late Fall of 1883, a set Of prizes
was offered by H. H. Warner, of Roches-
ter, N. Y, for the best essays upon
them. These prizes were competed for
by many scientific persons in this coun-
try and insEurope. The only entry from
the United States that took a prize was
an essay by Mr.. H. c. Maine, which was
also the only prize essay that did not
ascribe the peculiar redness of the sun
sets in question to the tremendous erup-
ton Of the volcano Krakatoa on the 25th
of August preceding their appearance.
Mr.. Names theory is that the peculiar
sunsets were caused by storms on the
sun itself. He gives a list of dates
showing that Immediately after an I'M
usual display of spots on the sun, show
ing storms of unusual energy in the solar
atmosphere, the red sunsets were seen,
After a certain period, the sun.spot &C.
tivity ceased-comparatively speaking
and the red sunsets disappeared.
This Spring the suns photosphere has
again been violently disturbed, and the
spots are becoming more frequent and
violent; and the red sunsets, it seems,
have been seen again. If that is so, 1t
upsets the Krakatoa theory at any rate,
whether it establishes the other or not.
Mr.. Maine is willing to allow the vol
canic dust some share in the display. but
the main effect is due, he thinks, to the
effect of the sun storms for the past five
years, which, by unusual violence, have
$50 loaded and extended the solar en-
velope that its nebulosity has become
visible" The exact share he is willing
to allow to the dust appears in the fol-
lowing explanation:
Given this corona or envelope about the
SUM- with sufficient density toward its
outer edge to reflect the sunlight, and we
have the rose-colored arch, with its bright
spot, which followed the sinking Of the sun
with the brilliant reflection in the east;
also the sunrise effects, which were quite
as notable. Given this corona, and the
character OF the sunset would change from
day to day through the changing condition
of the vapor and possibly volcanic dust in
our atmosphere. When the atmosphere
was heavily laden with vspor and possibly
dust from Krakatos. the arch would be
lost in the orsnge-red glow of the gorgeous
sunsets, as on November 81. 1888. and
later dates. When the dust had settled, if
it was ever in our atmosphere, at the
latitude Of New York. the rosy arch would
persist as 1t did and the corona would also
remain by day. The arch lighted the dust
and the watery yapor, and the image OF
the arch was projected on our atmosphere;
but when both dus. and vapor were at a
minimum, the arch alone was seen. with q
faint rose color. This color is the one
that might be expected from the character
of the vspor, mostly hydrogen, in the
SUMS envelope or corona.
This is certainly q very interesting ex-
PLANTATION; and it reveals one fact at any
rate, and that is the identity of the
great American sun-spot man, the origin
ator Of the Rochester Idea the idea
that sun spots are responsible for most
of the meteorological phenomena of this
world