Bishop's Ring

Abstract

BISHOP'S RING still continues very conspicuous about sunset more so than it was for a long time previous to last November, though not so much so as at the end of 1883. It is evident there must have been an addition of some kind to the dust of our atmosphere last November, a considerable part of which yet remains. The light-coloured dust wisps reappeared faintly after the date (April 10) of my letter (p. 582), but have now entirely disappeared again (I have not seen them since July 20); the texture of the sky in the ring being perfectly smooth lately. I have not seen any other peculiar sunset phenomena of late, though Señor Arcimis (Director of the Meteorological Institute) tells me the sunsets are very brilliant at Madrid. He says he is satisfied that Bishop's Ring did not exist in Spain before the Krakatoa eruption; and he agrees with me that it has never since entirely disappeared about sunset.