On the rotational temperature of airglow hydroxyl emissions

It is argued that available observational information does not support the contention (recently advanced by Suzuki and Tohmatsu, 1976) that the rotational temperature derived from an airglow hydroxyl emission band depends systematically on the quantum number (ν′) of the vibrational state from which the band originates. In particular, it is shown that bands originating from ν′ = 6, 7 and 8, measured simultaneously, exhibit rotational temperatures which (within the experimental errors) are equal.