26 Appearances of Aurora Borealis 



w.s.w. After this hour the aurora gradually became fainter, 

 but had not entirely disappeared until after midnight. 



September 9. 1835. — This evening the most brilliant aurora 

 borealis that has appeared here since January 7., 1831, was 

 observed. The whole north-western quarter of the heavens 

 was illuminated by a pale yellowish light, from which rays 

 of nearly the same colour shot forth, and extended beyond 

 the zenith : these appearances continued for nearly the space 

 of two hours. 



September 13. 1835. — The aurora was again visible this 

 evening, when the rays were of a red tint, and rose nearly to the 

 zenith ; but were not so bright, and did not continue so long, 

 as on the 9th. The wind, on both occasions, blew fresh from 

 the westward, and these phenomena were succeeded by rain. 



It may be well to notice, that the wind blew from the west- 

 ward when the aurora of January 7., 1831, was visible; that 

 the barometer was very high, and that the thermometer fell 

 fifteen degrees below the freezing point during the night, but 

 afterwards gradually rose; and that rain fell on the night of 

 January 9. 



Wycombe, November 19. 1835. 



Art. VIII. Particulars on Appearances of Instances of Aurora 

 Borealis at Stoansrvick, near Bath, on Nov. 17-18, 18. 1835. By 



The beautiful phenomena of the aurora borealis having been 

 displayed, with unusual splendour, on the evening of November 

 18., and, in various parts of the country, excited more than 

 ordinary attention, it may be interesting to some of your read- 

 ers to record the following memoranda of their appearance ; 

 and these may, by affording means of comparison with the 

 observations of more scientific individuals in other and distant 

 parts of the country, be useful in a meteorological view. 



The aurora borealis had been marked on the night of the 

 17th, and early in the morning of the 18th. The prevalence, 

 however, of an almost uniform stratum of cloud prevented, at 

 the time of my observation, any other appearance than that 

 of considerably diffused and reddish light along the northern 

 horizon. About 1 a.m., this light was equal in intensity to 

 strong moonlight in a clouded night. 



On the evening of the 18th, circumstances were highly fa- 

 vourable for observation. Soon after sunset, considerable light 

 was seen to be diffused along the northern horizon, assuming, 

 about 8 p.m., the appearance of a broad and ill-defined bank 



