39 



a brilliant and well defined stream of light of the blood-red 

 colour appeared a little to the south of west, and seemed to 

 be a disjointed portion of the eastern red mass. A few minutes 

 after its appearance, a large mass of white auroral light be- 

 gan to rise rapidly from the northern horizon ; at the same 

 time the northern streamers became much more vivid, and 

 took a fan-hke appearance, converging to a point not far from 

 the zenith. There was no appearance, however, of Corona. 

 Shortly after, (about W\ 40'), a portion of the light of these 

 streamers, about midway between a Ursae and Polaris, as- 

 sumed the unusual blood-red tint, and continued of this 

 colour for several minutes. 



" Before 11 o'clock all the peculiar appearances had 

 nearly gone ; and there remained nothing but the faint lu- 

 minous clouds, with light streamers to the N. N. W. These 

 streamers were still playing at 12 o'clock, and extended 

 from the zenith to within about 30° of horizon. 



" The thermometer stood at 38° fahr., and the barometer 

 at 29.786 inches. The wind was dry and piercing."* 



* The following note, by Mr. Bergin, supplies the account of the early part of 

 the phenomenon : — 



" On alighting at the Dunleary station at 7 o'clock, (from the Railway,) we 

 observed a magnificently coloured crimson Aurora as a broad mass to the westward ; 

 and our first impression for a moment was, that it was the light from one of the en- 

 gine furnaces reflected from a cloud of steam. It extended from near the horizon 

 towards the zenith, with frequent flashes or streamers within itself. From the main 

 mass, round by the north, and onward to the east, the whole sky had a crimson or 

 carmine tint ; and were it not for the brilliant moon (near the full) I do believe 

 the splendour would have equalled any I have ever heard of. * * * * The Aurora 

 assumed the general appearance of an arch ; the first observed mass to the westward 

 being one leg which faded away toward the zenith, where there was a steady cir- 

 cular patch of great brilliancy of colour, and from thence, separated by a small in- 

 terval, was a faint limb descending to the eastern horizon. « * * * These appear- 

 ances continued with scarcely any change till near 8 o'clock. About 9 o'clock the 

 general appearances were much the same, save that the eastern limb of the arch 

 was not visible, and the western much more intensely coloured, and like a steady 

 column. * * * * Throughout, its limits had been well defined ; and it was perfectly 

 transparent, stars of the third, and perhaps the fourth magnitude being seen 

 through it." 



