{lxviii} Meteorological Register
[Remarkable Phenomena continued from page lix [our page [279]].]
January 29th. Parhelion around the sun this afternoon, consisting of a halo circumscribing the sun, in the circumference of which appeared the mock suns, and in a horizontal line with the sun. The diameter of the halo was observed to be 45° 20´. To the N.E. of the sun there also appeared a luminous arch inverted, or having its convex part towards the sun, and its extremities directed from it. It was about 60° of a circle of a smaller periphery than the halo, and well defined. The part nearest the sun was found to be 48° 17´ distant from that luminary, so that it did not come in contact with the halo, but the points of their nearest approach were 25° 37´ apart. The halo was indistinct, except in the vicinity of the mock suns, where it was well defined. Time of making observations half past three o'clock, P.M. Thermometer at the same time 5°, Barometer 28.88, atmosphere hazy, thin light clouds about sun, fresh N.W. wind.
This evening soon after the moon rose, there being a thick haze or mist in the atmosphere about her, there appeared two luminous cones of a reddish cast, whose bases coincided with the moon's disc; the one extending with its vertex above the moon directed towards the zenith, and the other with its vertex below her approaching the horizon. At six o'clock the paraselene appeared complete, consisting of the halo of the same diameter as that around the sun this afternoon, the mock moons or images, and the inverted arch to the S.W. of the moon, and of the same size and distance from the moon as that which appeared with the parhelion above mentioned. From each mock moon there projected a cone of light, whose vertices were directed from the moon. Soon after these appeared two more cones issuing from the moon, one on each side of her in a horizontal direction. The length of the one projecting downwards was 8° 40´; that of the other three 2° 30´, they being equal in length. Thermometer when the observations on the moon were made stood at 5°, Barometer 29.00, fresh N.W. breeze, atmosphere hazy, no clouds visible about moon.
January 31st. Parhelion around the sun this morning, consisting of the mock suns only, which appeared soon after sunrise, the distance between them measured 44° 30´.
On the 12th the ice in the river was found to be 28 inches thick. Very little current where the measurement was made.
FOOTNOTES:
[98] The matter from this point to the end of the present volume, is reprinted from vol. ii of the Philadelphia edition (1823), where it appears as part ii.—Ed.