Web Watch

Last month’s heavy rains got us thinking about the phrase “Red sky at night night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.”

What are the roots of the expression and, more importantly, is it true?

Well, thanks to the Everyday Mysteries page on the Library of Congress Web site, now we know.

“Red sky at night, sailors delight. When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles,” according to Everyday Mysteries. “This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.”

And “Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning,” means “a red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east.”

Everyday Mysteries is chock full of fun facts and answers to questions you may have asked: Are black-eye peas really peas? What is the strongest muscle in the human body? Is it possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk?

* Web Watch is an occasional feature that spotlights sites of interest. E-mail your site suggestions for publication consideration to chronicl@westga.edu.