The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-27
SAYS ALL DO
HAVE CERTAIN IDEAS
Majority Believe What is Said
Without BOiheTing 10
Ascertain
Special to Daily Leader.

Spttldt W Ddly iSGducl,
Washington, D. G.. April 27.-There
are probably no phenomena Of nature,
either in the heavens or the eartn'
about which the people ave SO pro
foundly misiniormed as the occur
renee Of solar and lunar halos, or
colored circles seen around the sun
and moon which are frequently OBJ
served at this season, and have at
tracted more than ordinary attention
of late owing TO their remarkable
brilliancy and the anomalous appear
ance presented by them The misap-
Drehension relative to these curious
exhibitions Is not surprising when We
consider their puzzliug nature and
the deceptive features that invaria-
bly, accompany them, which at one
time the wisest philosophers were
unable to correctly interpret and eA-
plain
1 Whenever, under favorable condi
/ tions. we observe a luminous circle
/ Of the various prismatic colors around
the moon, the sky within the circle
4 being much darker apparently than
/ IL IS upon the outside (Which Is the
peculiar feature OF a lunar halo) an
4 obse. yer is very naturally led to be-
1 lieVe that ring Of light does actu-
ally surround the moons disk. while
inside the ring there IS but little, il
any, light at all the sky being dark
and unillumnated, and that portion
lust outside really much brighter
though less bright than the ring il
self
Now, It is HI this belief that we are
deceived by appearances, anG that the
perplexing nature OF & halo is well
Illustrated. and yet people will claim
as seeing is believing they have ar
oculas demonstration that rca
luminous circle does surround tho
moon. and that the dark sky inside
receives no light from the moons
disk, being actually without any i
lunination as it appears to be.
Paradox in Fact.
But. paradoXieal as it may seem, Il
is nevertheless fact that the SIX!
Is really no brighter where the cir
Gle Of light appears than 1t is any
Nilore else around the moon, and only
seems to be for the reason that oW
ing TO the refsaction OF the NOON
: light at an equal distance from he
| disk on all sides. more OF the lumi
a nous rays reach our eyes from th
= portion of the sky where the cirep
or ring is seen.
That there is no real luminous cll
t Gle around the moon, and that tn
! sky is equally bright where It appear
a The darkest--the whole product,o
S being deceptive as above stated-wil
I bemanfest when the cause and ma
5 ture OF the singular phenomenon ar
y fully understood.
The lunar halo which by man
persons is regarded as a remarkabl
and unexplained luminosity assocla
ed with the moon. is to meteorolog
J. cal students neither mysterious no
+ an anomalous occurrence. II ha
I been frequently observed and fo
+ many wears thoroughly nnderst1o,
1 and al the present time admits of a
D easy scientific explanation lt Is a
, atmospheric exhibition due to the rC
z fraction and dispersion OF the moon
! light through very minute ice cry'
: tails floating at great elevation
!. above the eai th. and Is explained b
y the science OF meieOcologY, to WHO
L. ID properly belongs for il is not q
d cosmica origin, and in no way pei
II tlins to astronomy, as most person
n suppose. except as it depends upo
\ the moon, whose light passn
ii through the atmosphere. produce
G the luminous halo. which, as will b
3. seen is simply an optical illnso
,. originating not in the vicinity of m
h., moon-24O0OO miles away but jus
o above the earths surface, and with
/. the aqueous envelope that surround
L II ON all sides.