Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1891 — The Green Ray. [ARTICLE]

The Green Ray.

Mr. C. Mostvn, in a letter to Nature on the well known appearance of tho green ray at sunrise or sunset, caused by the refraction of air, states: “This ‘green ray’ is seen to best advantage at sunrise, owing, I imagine, to the eye not being wearied with watching the previous glare, as is apt to be the case at Bunset. At the same time, I had many wry satisfactory observations at sunset.

one in particular, when we were running before a very heavy sea in the Southern ocean, and the ‘green ray’ was seen no less than three times in as mauy seconds, as the ship rose and fell on the huge waves, causing, as it were, two sunsets, with a sunrise between them. The best displays took place when the refraction near the horizon was of such a character that the sun assumed a balloon or vase shape as he came close to the sea line. When, on tho contrary, the sun appeared flattened out in its horizontal diameter, the ‘green ray’ was either entirely absent or was seen only iu an indistinct and uncertain manner.”