The twilight
gray, the hues of the evening and morning sky, the peculiarity of the
red rays of light, the scintillation of stars, their flashing changes
of colors, are all meteorological in their character, as well as
strikingly beautiful and interesting.
* * * * *
Polarity of light is another of the wonders of which Meteorology takes
cognizance. The celebrated Malus, in 1808, while looking at the light
of the setting sun shining upon the windows of the Luxembourg, was led
to the discovery that a beam of light which was reflected at a certain
angle from transparent and opaque bodies, or by transmission through
several plates of uncrystallized bodies, or of bodies crystallized and
possessing the property of double refraction, changed its character,
so as to have sides, to revolve around poles peculiar to itself, and
to be incapable of a second reflection. The angle of polarity was
found to be 54 deg..
The beam of polarized light was also found to have the peculiar
property of penetrating into the molecules of bodies, illuminating
them and, enabling the eye to determine as to their structure. The
production of beautiful spectres, prismatic colors of gorgeous hues,
and the most remarkable system of rings, has followed the discovery,
and important results are expected from the continuation of the
researches.
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