SHORTER ARTICLES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 563 



SHOETEE AKTICLES AND COKKESPONDENCE. 



AN UNUSUAL AURORA B0REALI8. 

 There was one feature of the au- 

 rora of August 21, as seen from York 

 Harbor, INIaine, of so extraordinary a 

 character as to deserve permanent 

 record. I refer to the arch extending 

 from east to west with its pendant 

 comet-like attachments as shown in 

 the illustration, which last, though un- 



beeame fainter and of hut little inter- 

 est, when, at 0.30 p.m., there appeared 

 a magnificent arch spanning the hea- 

 vens from east to west, the top of the 

 arch being a little udrtli of the zenith, 

 and almost overhead. As shown in the 

 diagram at least three fourths of the 

 eastern half of the arch consisted of a 

 pale, only half-luiiiiuous column of 



An Unusual Aurora Borealis. 



skilfully drawn, gives a fairly correct 

 diagrammatic representation of the 

 phenomenon. 



It was a clear starlit night with a 

 low bank of cloud along the north- 

 western horizon. No moon. The dis- 

 play began between 7 and 8 p.m., with 

 the usual nebulous huninosity in the 

 northern sky with occasional streaks 

 shooting upwards. These gradually 



visible streaks, the band being perhaps 

 as wide as the diameter of a full moon 

 appears to be. The western segment 

 of the arch presented a most extraor- 

 dinary and magnificent spectacle. 



Beginning a little east of the zenith 

 and continuing almost to the western 

 horizon, there appeared what might 

 easily be likened to a string of tre- 

 mendous comets. These pennants of 



