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    OTHER WONDERFUL SUN RINGS

    Your attention is next called to a wonderful appearance of the sun as witnessed at Danville, Ky., Jan. 1, 1843. The same appeared again at the same place on February 3, of the same year. The first appearance, as given in the Danville Mercury of Jan. 4, 1843, is described as follows:—LDT 82.2

    “The citizens of this village were much astonished on the 1st inst. at the appearance of one of those singular and unusual exhibitions termed parhelia. It was about 2 P. M. that we first observed the singular phenomenon. At this time the heavens presented the following appearance: Around the sun there was a circle of light, such as is frequently seen around both it and the moon. The diameter of this appeared to be about forty-five degrees; outside of this there was another circle, or rather segment of a circle, for it was not complete, seeming likewise to have the sun for its center, and whose diameter was about twice that of the former, and only the upper portion-perhaps the half-was visible. Extending around the whole horizon, and apparently equally distant from it in every part, was a third circle, cutting the former at right angles, and passing through the sun. At the points of intersection between this and the inner circle surrounding the sun were two colored images, very distinct, which might have been, and were for an instant, mistaken for the sun by persons who were in such a situation that they could not see the sun itself. In this same horizontal circle were other less brilliant and white images,-one each side of the former, and apparently at equal distances from them, and also, of course, from the sun. These two last images were each perhaps about one hundred degrees from the sun. There was also a fourth segment of a circle, presenting the appearance and brilliant colors of the rainbow. About one third of the circle could be seen. It was high above the horizon, and seemed to have a point in or near the zenith as its center; if completed, its diameter would have been, perhaps, forty-five degrees. It was, of course, convex toward the sun, and just touched the outer circle surrounding the sun. The colors of the rainbow were exceedingly distinct-the red being next to the sun, and the others in order.LDT 83.1

    “At about a quarter past two the appearance was the most brilliant, the four images and the four circles being then all visible. From this time it began to fade away, the circle and images disappearing one at a time, until about 3 P. M., when nothing unusual could be seen.”LDT 84.1

    The postmaster of Danville, in a letter dated Feb. 3, 1843, said: “One of these astonishing and singular phenomena appeared here this morning at ten o’clock. The sky was clear. It was precisely the same as appeared on the first of January, a description of which will be published in to-morrow’s paper.”LDT 84.2

    The Danville Clarion of the next day contained the following concerning the sight seen on February 3: “Yesterday morning, about ten o’clock, we were summoned to the street to view the reappearance of the beautiful and strange phenomenon in the heavens, called parhelion. The sky was unusually clear, and the appearance differed from that witnessed by our citizens on the first day of lastLDT 84.3

    PICTURE-SUN WONDER, DANVILLE, KY., 1843

    month (a description of which we gave) only in the increased brightness of the four luminous spots then mentioned as having the appearance of the sun partly obscured by clouds. This lasted, as did the other, about one hour.”LDT 86.1

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