102 Mr Marshall's Remarks on a Luminous Arch, $c. 



Art. XVI. — Remarks on a Luminous Arch seen at Kendal, 

 9Hth December 1827. By Mr Samuel Marshall. Com- 

 municated by the Author. 



At ten minutes past six in the evening, a luminous arch ap- 

 peared across the heavens, stretching directly from the mag- 

 netic east and west, through the zenith, the eastern extre- 

 mity being by far the most intense in light, and narrower than 

 the western one. The eastern end appeared much more com- 

 pact than the western, the latter having the appearance of 

 streaks of light. The centre, which passed directly through 

 Cassiopeia, had the appearance of flocci, and at least three times 

 the breadth of the western end, and four times that of the eas- 

 tern. About 20° degrees further north another arch of light 

 appeared, quite distinct from the former, but much thinner. 

 Its ends terminated in the extremities of the larger bow. The 

 northern horizon exhibited the aurora by appearing like the 

 sky when illuminated by the rising sun. Round the moon was 

 a very distinct halo, and she had attained the altitude of about 

 50°. In the south were thick white clouds which concealed the 

 southern horizon. After the appearance had continued about 

 ten minutes, the larger bow began to move at the centre to- 

 wards the south, and to increase in breadth, the extremities re- 

 maining stationary ; and this continued till the part of the bow 

 which had been in the zenith united with the clouds, the 

 smaller bow advancing in the same degree. When the centre 

 of the bow had moved about 20° towards the south, the halo 

 entirely disappeared. The bow during the whole time seemed 

 to have a motion from one extremity to the other, as though 

 impelled by wind, from the west to the east. The wind at the 

 surface of the earth was at the same time N.W. by N., the 

 thermometer was 40°, the barometer 30.30, and had risen dur- 

 ing the day from 30.07. The appearance lasted about half an 

 hour, after which the sky was clear, except in the south. No 

 streamers were visible, except from the eastern end, whence a 

 few large ones moved towards the magnetic north, but rather 

 sluggishly. 



