Notes to the Extra Observations of Magnetometers, October 20 — November 24, 1844. 159 



NOTES ON THE AURORiE BOREALES. 



d. h. m. 

 Oct. 20 15 6. Aurora now very faint and broken up ; slight pulsations and very faint streamers. 41™. Arch very 

 low ; faint streamers at azimuths 306 and 10°, and very faint ones between. 55"'. Faint streamers 

 to N 4° W. 



16 5. No streamers. 20". Aurora bright, rapid pulsations, and waves upwards. 25™. Quick pulsations ; 



streamers to NNW. 32™. Brilliant aurora ; rapid pulsations from below upwards ; a dense mass 

 of very brilliant streamers about this time from N by E. to about NW by N., some of them reach- 

 incT to an altitude of 50° ; rapid pulsations upwards. The streamers terminate abruptly at N by E. 

 40™. At one time the streamers rose like a comb from the crown of an ai-ch, the interior of which 

 was dark, but in general they sprung from below the horizon. 45™. Vivid pencils springing from 

 the horizon to an altitude of 10°, with a wavy or undulatory motion ; rather rose-coloured. 52™. 

 Vivid pencils to N by E. ; blank space due N. 



17 4. Aurora fainter, amplitude 35°, the lower portion of the aurora assuming a little of the form of the arch ; 



three or four shooting stars seen. 7™. Aurora in patches, pulsations with faint streamers. 17™. 

 Two bright pencils, altitude 35°, close together due north ; quick pulsations ; aurora getting brighter ; 

 very vivid pencils due north. 18™. Moving east a little, pulsation to NW. 23™. Two falling stars 

 seen. Frequent pulsations about NNW. ; two streamers moved to about NNE. ; pencils visible to 

 near the west point of the horizon. 25™. Bright pencils to NNW., altitude 30°. 30™. Aurora 

 brighter, pencils rising from a/ai arch, 3° of clear sky beneath ; pencils extending to an altitude of 

 15° or 20°. 35™. Arch more diffuse, splitting into two branches to NE., to nearly which point 

 pencils extend ; shooting star to NE., among and in the direction of the streamers ; all the falling 

 stars seen this evening, move in nearly the direction of the streamers. 40™. Nearly as before, 

 pencils and aurora fainter. 54™. Aurora much fainter. 



18 1. Faint streamers reaching to Polaris ; broad bright streamer to NNW., altitude 10°. 10™. Streamers 



still visible ; twilight ; falling star to north. 

 Nov. 11 6 45. Faint light seen over a bank of clouds to north. 



7 15. The aurora has broken into a double arch, the upper one extending from the summit, 10 altitude, 



at NNW. to about WN W. 22™. An amorphous mass of light, 6° altitude, to NW. 24™. Streamers 

 to N J E., faint coruscations. 27". Vivid to NW. ; a bright patch formed due north, about 

 12° altitude, the highest point of the arch about NW by N. A bank of cirro-stratus to N. and 

 NNE. obscures the aurora there, 30™. A complete ai'ch about 11° altitude, the arch now extend- 

 ing to almost west point of horizon. 32™-38™. Aurora faint. 41™. Faint streamers to NW by 

 N. rising from the horizon, the arch gone. 43™. Streamer to N by E. 47™. Aurora now nearly 

 obscured by the bank of cirro-stratus ; streamers to NW. 49™. A shooting-star moving with a 

 zig-zag motion from y Ursae Majoris down to the horizon. 53™. Streamer to NNE. ; auroral light 

 again rising above the clouds. 59™. Faint streamers due north. 



8 0. A shooting-star moved very slowly for 10°, through the stars in the head of the Great Bear towards 



the NNE. point of the horizon. 15™. Faint streamers to NNE. 18™. Auroral bank rather bright 



to NW. 50™. Aurora still visible, but faint. 

 Aurora still visible, ll"" 40™. Auroral light still visible. 

 Aurora still visible. A shooting-star fell vertically from an altitude of 20° above NNW. point of 



horizon. IB*" 10™. Mass of clouds to north, about 10° altitude. Auroral light seen above them. 



I3I1 25™. Sky covered with clouds and haze, excepting about 0'5 to south. 

 Auroral light seen between patches of clouds to north ? 

 Very faint auroi'al light ? 

 Diffuse auroral arch seen. 38™. Auroral arch 8° altitude, flickering. 41™-42™. Bright and varying 



auroral patches, especially to NNW. ; streamers to north ; clouds hide a portion. 48™. Bright 



auroral patch to N by E., altitude 10°. 55™. Arch 5° altitude, not bright. 

 Aurora seen between scud and cirro-stratus. 23™. Overcast. 

 Sky clear, moon setting, no aurora visible. 

 Very faint auroral light to N. and E. 

 See an account, among the Additional Meteorological Notes, of remarkable varying streaks, i-esembling 



aui'oral bands, which were observed after a magnetic disturbance of this date. Similar streaks were 



also observed Nov. 24'' %^. 

 Nov. 24 12 40. Star shot from zenith to the west. 45™. Portion of an ill-formed auroral arch, extending from W ^ 



N. to NNW., where its altitude was 10°, stopping at that point. It was first noticed at this time, grew 



faint, reappeared with greater brightness and breadth, 5° at the broadest, disappeared about 55™ ? 



and was not seen afterwards. The moon was totally eclipsed at this time and appeared quite red. 



At 53™ a star shot from 40° altitude due SSW. 



