MEMOIRS- 



AMERICAN ACADEMY 



*KH YORK 

 HVTAKtCAL 



Catalogue * of Auroras observed, mostly at Cambridge, after the year 1838. 

 By JOSEPH LOVERING, 



HOLLIS PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS AXD NATURAL PHILOSOPHY LS HARVARD COLLEGE. 



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* 5 



Cambridge, 1838. 



Feb. 21. Brilliant Aurora. A light began to 

 appear in the north at 8 h : large streamers 

 crossed the heavens. At 10 h , they were ar- 

 ranged in vertical arcs, streaming up nearly 

 to the zenith and concentrating in the northern 

 horizon. Afterwards, their upper extremities 

 assumed the color of brilliant scarlet. At ll h , 

 the streamers were agitated, the light faded 

 and flashed up again, instantaneously, during 

 half an hour. Soon after this, the Aurora 

 faded out, and at 12 h was wholly invisible, ex- 

 cept as a bank of diffuse light in the north. 



Feb. 22. A few streamers in the evening. 

 " 23. At 10 h , a few faint patches of light 

 scattered over the heavens. 



1839. 



Jan. 11. Beautiful Aurora at 10 h . 



Sept. 3. A magnificent display of Aurora. At 

 the end of twilight, several columns of brilliant 

 scarlet light had started from the northern 

 horizon, and at 8 h had nearly reached the 

 zenith, streamers also ascending now from the 

 east and south. In half an hour the whole 

 firmament was flooded with light. Soon after 

 9 h , a corona was formed, in the direction of 



*17 



the resultant of the earth's magnetism at this 



place. The columns then broke, and attempted 



to form again with partial success. At 10 h , the 



heavens were covered with a brush of light. 



Dorchester, 1839. 



6 Sept. 1. Aurora Borealis, altitude 4°, steady, 



* Those marked with an asterisk were observed by myself: the others by the late W. C. Bond or G 

 Observatory, being copied from its records by permission of the Director, Joseph Winlook. 



VOI» X. 1 



apex E. of K 5°, 7 h 45 m . Arch lower at 9 h 



7 Sept. 3. Aurora. 



8 " 28. Faint N. Aurora, altitude about 2°, 

 with wane and dark below ; at 9 h 30 m , strong 

 steady light, altitude 15° to 20°, wane. 



9 Oct. 22. Aurora during night. 



10 Dec. 21. 7 h m . Aurora, dark wane clouds be- 



low, white, steady, low, say 5°. Strong Au- 

 rora, dark below, apex about 7° east of north. 

 Aurora active at S h 3o m . Aurora low and 

 steady. Arch well defined, steady. A few dark 

 wane clouds above the arch. Aurora faint and 

 low. Strong light among wane clouds. Wane, 

 bright auroral arch quiet, wane rising at N. 



Cambridge, 1840. 



11 Feb. 6. Aurora at altitude of 2°, diffused white 



light, stead)-, with long, low, dark wane clouds. 



12 " 7. Low, faint Aurora, altitude 3°, with 

 long, dark, pointed wane. 



13 Mar. 22. Aurora Borealis, white diffused light, 



apex at 4°, with wane across. 



Aurora, dark wane below. 

 Slight Aurora. 



Aurora, height of arch 3° at N. 

 and active, with dark wane and de- 

 tached nebula. 



' 28. Remarkable Aurora. An arch was 

 formed at 9 h 15 m P. M., running, as nearly as 

 could be ascertained, at right angles to the 

 magnetic meridian. A crown began to form 

 at ll h . Its position was referred to a Corona' 

 Borealis, which was then upon the meridian. 

 P. Bond of the Harvard 



