The Meeker herald., 1890-11-08
WHY THE SKY IS BLUE.
y Variety Of Prominent Heavenly 1ints
CIsssSiy AnAIyasd.

CisscTiy Analysed.
"You have all noticed" said an as
:ronomcr to Cincinnati Times-Star
man, that whom We look away from tho
sun into the cloudlcss sky, the hcavens
appear blue; when, however, We look in
tho direction Of the sun, especially
when, after sunset, We look toward the
western horizon, the color is . yellow
ish red. With the spcctroscopc II can
be shown that the white light from tho
sun IL produced by u mingling OF differ
cnt colored rays. Indeed this can bc
shown by means OF any triangular
prism. say one OF tho pendants OF a
chandelier. Ons OF these placed in the
path Of beam o! light will project on a
screen . band OF seven colors-rcd,
orange. yellow. green, light blue, dark
blue and violet Understanding this,
Nc can readily sec how the effect is blue
when = piece Of blus glass Ia intcrposed.
or red when red glass 1, used. Al! su.
tho blue and red rays respectively are
Absorbcd: these. however. pass through
freely. and We say that tho body In
blue, or rcd, when really tn. coias
is no, property of the gia,. In any 'rar
sense. hut of the sunlight. Wha, ha
this To do with tho sky colors? viii
now show you. Dissolve llttla white
castillo soap In a iumblor OF water. 50 a.
To make the water slightly turLIi. Place
y black screen behind the tumbler and
hold tho Who'll, No that the suaiisht
must bo reflected from the liquid before
1t can reach your eye. Tn. liquid will
appear blue. Hold 1t next In direct
line toward tho sun and IL appears yell
io~i,h rcd. Now ,h.s. are the cIae, APP
r.aianc.s Of the sky. sky light l, re-
.ractcd light Tn. water particle, in
the atmosphere, lIk. tho particle, OF
sap In the water. r-;ract blue light.
Will. the background OF darsnos, slr'
rounding tho earth replaced the black
screen. Tn. a,tno,ph-r", likn the spiu'
'ion Of soap and ~.t"r, transmits yell
low and red rays bu, slightly rr!EarIsd.
while the blue. brsns \ weak color. IA
rcfraei-d too io~ IN b. seen; hence when
No look toward the sIur-r ~ light In
the -,.nin. or moFnin- 'h- Ftv Is Of =
y-ilowIsh r-i color. ThGs -'cc, ls more
pronounced ,h.n than durin. the day.
because when the Aun il near III. Eosl'
ssn tho ray, travel a greater distance In
the air Ia order - F-arh tho earth than
~h-n directly al-o,- us- Consequently
tho blue rays ssv NOR, thoroughly
rvsrarisl.
The atmosphere has many effects In
modifying III" appearance" OF III. sLy
and tho L-ay-nly i-s!i"sS Look a. N"aus
over ,h,s- near tho Western lofisnn and
iu,. b-io. the cs~ss,-n, moon. Which has
GONE into plain si"s While 80 has-
been ,al.in. toa >rooan, of the a--t~a.
ing darsne.si. is ruaI distance from
.ho horizon 10 no, a. rr-a. a. !, app-afs.
20. the ray. 81 li-h, which I, rejects ;o
G,. and which /, r-c-iy-s from ,a- ssn.
arp h-n, downward -h-h they pAss into
our air. perhaps hs;y n.il-s fsota tho
.ar;h's surface.
''As tho effect 10 tho samo - ihAs
which would b. pc.aue-d ~osp Shrsp au
atmosphere. BY ray. pe"ccedias ssons q
higher star. 80 i.'asp the t-.iy In .
.orc elevated ,-,sision than tho ono
uhS,h IL actually s-o-upi-.- rus diane
on the bottom II = rail allied -ish -A'rs
aad yoa hav- like conditions Nth sit4l'
lar -s-.,. n yos place ypar hani
.s-,p you ,hlat you s~- 'h- epiz yos.
~iii na, ,oaeh Is. ha, = spo, r-rhap. 81.
inch ai.s,. ,h. ,ru- bottom. Again. Do
yoa motto. hos steadily Neaus shia-sS
u ys,u .-p h-', in an hour later. ~sun
tho stars Af- all aus. ypu all obsrfsr
sha. all taos1 prsF ih1 Luri:an.
sso others so sfasllrr csica;s
.sr mrsfiiy ;Sinkiias. This sp'
p-a.ancr. made f.sniiisr 81 all 81 Ne ~
,acsld nH-.rry rhyme nv viakir. .,si..I-.
l.. fN 80
case os any piaars -srrp; Mrrvury. aat'
has ,---a q .g,irc; Of much ssaiy on the
t..r. Of scientific rnrpg I; is nau -rHos'
ally believed that !, aris~s ffur, she sn'
-tsai t-ca.!in. % the rays q iis.h; a. they
pass ,a-oash AERIAL rsrrvn's n' iIfprca;
temperature. ami draslsirs- Tho facts
s--tu ,a support this 'hr--y. Zoe shorv
sh- aIr il the inusrss-aUs- She hnrisaa
tho -n--. IL mos. noticeable. shrsu !.
is sho r.s-.;-sa our srri,h-i; IL loss
marked.
This ,sintiins. rr,siurCs another II.
la.ian. When W look as th- heavens
on a cirar -in,nfs might the nfsi i'm
preston on oar mind is ,ha; "a" see an
ainps; Infinite number II stars. In
truth. seldom can an ordinary .yc dis.
corn more than 1000 a: once. II yoa
should observe tho sky nightly 'pr .
sholc ycar there would b. pr-srn'c5 :"
yosr sies only a,ss; ..""o. Hui II yos
,.so = telescope. a. sir wm- iierschell
did. and poin, /; toward 'ha; portion o'
the milky say sbich lross the shi'es'
and ;hc mii.tcs'. yau will 500 more
than coo. 90, stars pass a-'' ss III" field p'
Jour instrument, every fifteen tningsos. :