Meteorological Phenomena

Abstract

ON the 10th of November, a little after 4 P.M., the sun was behind a bank of thick stratus clouds, on the upper edge of which, attached to it, about 10° above the sun's position, and 15° to 20° to the north of it; I, with two other persons, observed a small irregularly-shaped cloud, about 2° in apparent diameter, which exhibited the colours of the least refrangible portion of the spectrum; commencing with the red on the south end nearest the sun, succeeded by orange, yellow, and pale greenish yellow, fading into white on the north edge, the rays being perpendicular. This appearance continued for about five minutes or upwards while we viewed it, and then faded away. Though the phenomenon appears simple, the light cloud merely refracting the sun's rays, it is not evident why the complementary colours of the more refrangible portion of the spectrum should not have been visible; and, as far as I am aware, a similar appearance has not been recorded before.