RAINBOW RINGS, EXTRA SUNS

The following account was published in the Methodist Protestant, of Baltimore, Md., and the Baltimore American, in 1864, and is from a correspondent at Pleasant Hill, Md., and dated Feb. 6, 1864:—LDT 88.1

“A curious and beautiful phenomenon of the heavens was witnessed to-day, which, for its remarkable and unaccountable appearance, should be publicly noted. At or about half past eleven o’clock this morning, one of my brothers, coming up the avenue from the city, observed that the sun gave a very peculiar light. Looking up, he saw the wonderful appearance of three suns in the sky, at the same time surrounded by a halo. He immediately came into the house and acquainted the rest of the family and myself with the fact.LDT 88.2

“The true sun was near the meridian, and the two parhelia, or mock suns, were very bright andLDT 88.3

PICTURE-SUN WONDER IN MARYLAND, 1864

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distinct, one on the east and the other on the west of the true sun, and intersected by a halo surrounding the sun, with a white circle parallel to the horizon and passing through the true sun. The mock suns were, as well as the halo, colored like a rainbow, and whitish toward the sun. Each mock sun had a streak or tail of light diverging from it in opposition to the true sun. This strange appearance continued for about half an hour after we first saw it.LDT 91.1

“This extraordinary phenomenon was witnessed by some of our neighbors also, and was the most remarkable spectacle I ever witnessed.”LDT 91.2