266 Mr. Heineken 07i the Aurora Borealis of Feb. ISth, 1837- 



most edge was bounded by /3 and y Ursae Majoris. The arch 

 appeared to arise from a mass of vivid pink light, but ob- 

 stacles prevented me from seeing the terminations. Arch 

 again visible at 4™ past 9, nearly as before. At 1 2"" past 9 the 

 thermometer had fallen to 41° and the air was sensibly cooler; 

 several faint white streamers shot up in magnetic north ; no 

 appearance at 17"" before 10. A most splendid arch at 8"^ 

 past 10 passing between >] Orionis and Aldebaran ; one edge 

 bounded nearly by Castor, and the other by s and y Ursap. 

 Majoris. Upon going indoors to an upper window I could see 

 this magnificent arch, more glorious even than the arch of 

 promise, terminated on each side by the hills between which 

 Sidmouth is situated, and attaining an altitude of, I should 

 suppose, betweerf 80° and 90°. At each termination the mass 

 of light was wider, at least twice the width of the higher parts 

 of the arch, and in that to the eastward I observed two or 

 three well-defined dark vertical spaces or bands. At IS'" 30^ 

 past 10 several white streamers, which I could not discern 

 out of the arch, shot across it from the western side near 

 Capella. The streamers, which had the appearance of white 

 bands, made by rough estimation an angle of 60° or 65° with 

 the western edge of the arch. At ll'" before 11 patches 

 of irregular full pink light had taken the place of the arch; a 

 large brilliant mass being over Ursa Major, and to the south- 

 ward of it. Many fleecy clouds again arose from the point 

 of the aurora's first appearance. The only meteor which I 

 observed during the evening was at 20'' past 11, brilliant, but 

 not large. It appeared (by estimation) about 2° SO' above 

 Capella; extent, of course to the north-westward, 5° or 6° : du- 

 ration little more than a second, leaving no train. After this 

 period the aurora became fainter, and finally ceased. 



I may observe that the day had been stormy, with heavy 

 showers, the wind in squalls from S.S.W. A short time 

 before the appearance of the aurora the wind lulled, and, ex- 

 cept during the times I have noted as cloudy, the moon 

 was shining brilliantly during the whole of this, notwithstand- 

 ing, most splendid spectacle. I had thus also afforded to me 

 an opportunity of correcting my watch by observing the oc- 

 cultation of Mars. I have to regret that I had not completed 

 a needle for magnetic observations. I subjoin, however, the 

 state of the thermometer and barometer on the morning and 

 evening of the 18th and 19th. 



