100 RECORD OP AURORAL PHENOMENA. 



ever, but a poor display of this beautiful phenomenon. Neither the magnetic needle nor the 

 gold leaf of the electrometer were, in either instance, in the slightest degree affected by it." — 

 Ibid., p. 133. 



January 11, 1820. 



"At eight a. m. on the 11th, faint coruscations of the Aurora Borealis were observed to dart with 

 inconceivable rapidity across the heavens from W.N. W. to E. S. E., from horizon to horizon, 

 and passing about 25° to the south of the zenith. 

 At noon to-day, the temperature of the atmosphere had got down to 49° below zero, being the 

 greatest degree of cold which we had yet experienced." — Ibid., p. 133. 



N. B. — 1. At 8h. a. m., faint coruscations, 



2. Across the heavens from W. N. W. to E. S. E., from horizon to horizon, 



3. Passing 25° to the south of the zenith. 



4. At noon to-day, temperature — 49°. 



January 15, 1820. 



"On the evening of the 15th, the atmosphere being clear and serene, we were gratified by a sight 

 of the only very brilliant and diversified display of Aurora Borealis which occurred during the 

 whole winter. I believe it to be almost impossible for words to give an idea of the beauty and 

 variety which this magnificent phenomenon displayed; I am at least certain that no description 

 of mine can convey an adequate description of it, and I therefore gladly avail myself of the 

 following account, by Captain Sabine, which was furnished by my request, at the time, for inser- 

 tion in my Journal. 



' Mr. Edwards, from whom we first heard that the Aurora was visible, described it as forming a 

 complete arch, having its legs nearly north and south of each other, and passing a little to the 

 eastward of the zenith. 



' When I went upon the ice, the arch had broken up. Towards the southern horizon was the ordi- 

 nary Aurora, such as we had lately seen on clear nights, being a pale light, apparently issuing 

 from behind an obscure cloud, at from six to twelve degrees of altitude, extending more or less 

 towards the east or west on different nights, and at different times of the same night, having no 

 determined centre or point of bisection, the greater part, and even at times the whole of the 

 luminous appearance being sometimes to the east, and sometimes to the west of south, but rarely 

 seen in the northern horizon, or beyond the east and west points of the heavens. This corre- 

 sponds with the Aurora most commonly noticed in Britain, except that it is there as peculiar to the 

 northern as here to the southern horizon, occasionally shooting upwards iu rays and gleams of light. 

 It was not distinguished by any unusual brilliancy or extent on this occasion ; the splendid part 

 of the phenomenon being detached, and apparently quite distinct. 



' The luminous arch had broken into irregular masses, streaming with such rapidity in different 

 directions, varying continually in shape and intensity, and extending themselves from north, by 

 the east, to south. If the surface of the heavens be supposed to be divided by a plane runniug 

 through the meridian, the Aurora was confined, during the time I saw it, to the eastern side of 

 the plane, and was usually most vivid and in longer masses in the E. S. E. than elsewhere. 

 Mr. Parry and I noticed to each other that, where the Aurora was very brilliant, the stars seen 

 through it were somewhat dimmed ; though this remark is contrary to former experience. 



' The distribution of light has been described as irregular and in constant change ; the various 

 masses, however, seemed to have a tendency to arrange themselves into two arches ; one passing 

 near the zenith, and a second about midway between the zenith and horizon, both having 

 generally a north and south direction, but curving towards each other, so that their legs pro- 

 duced a complete ellipse ; these arches were as quickly dispersed as formed. At one time, a part 

 of the arch near the zenith was bent into convolutions, resembling those of a snake in motion, 

 and undulating rapidly ; an appearance we had not before observed. The end towards the north 

 was also bent like a shepherd's crook, which is not uncommon. It is difficult to compare the 

 light produced by the Aurora with that of the moon, because the shadows are rendered faint 

 'and indistinct by reason of the general diffusion of the Aurora ; but I should think the effect of 



