The Zodiacal Light(?)

Abstract

LAST Friday evening about 7 p.m. my attention was called to a peculiar appearance in the western sky. The sun had set not long before. No clouds were visible but one long thin streak, and there were the usual mists near the horizon. Above where the sun might be, a pillar of light faintly red in colour, with soft edges, but fairly well defined, rose vertically from near the horizon to the height of perhaps a few degrees. It did not look like an illuminated cloud nor like rays of light shot up through a cloud, nor like anything local; in fact I am told that it moved north-wards with the sun. Was this the zodiacal light, or merely some sunset effect? It began to grow dim about 7.10 p.m, but was visible later than this.