18 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. [ Nov. 11, 
NOVEMBER IT, 1889. - 
STATED MEETING. 
The President, Pror. H. L. FarRcuHILD, in the chair. 
Thirty-two persons present. 
The Council report recommended, 
(1.) The payment of certain bills. 
(2.) The election as resident members of the following candidates: 
Pres. DAvip J. HILL, : 
Rev. Gero. C. JONES, 
Dr. FRANZ MUECKE. 
The bills were ordered paid and the candidates were elected by 
formal ballot. 
Mr. E. E. Howe tt exhibited a section, eight by twelve inches, 
cut from the méteorite which he had shown the Academy June 24th. 
Dr. M. A. VEEDER read an illustrated paper on 
THE AURORA: 
( Abstract. )* 
Encircling each magnetic pole of the earth, there is, at a varying 
distance, a belt within which auroral display attains its maximum. Dur- 
ing years when the solar photosphere is much rifted and torn, as though 
by eruptive forces, this belt extends to lower latitudes, and auroras are 
more widely seen. At such times the range of movement of the sus- 
pended magnet increases, and telegraph lines are more frequently dis- 
turbed by earth currents. Thus auroras, magnetic storms, and sun 
spots vary in frequency in like ratio to each other. This has become 
known, however, by systematic averaging through extended periods, 
and not by direct observation of individual coincidences. Nothing is 
more common than to find dark spots numerous upon the sun, but unat- 
tended by any appearance of the aurora, or perturbations of the mag- 
*NoTE BY THE AUTHOR.—Aside from a few preliminary statements intended to summarize points 
that are contained in all ordinary text-books on the subject, the paper, of which this is an abstract, was 
based upon a systematic daily record kept by the writer. Each day a sketch and description of the 
condition of the sun has been recorded, and on the same page notes and references have been made in 
regard to all phenomena that were coincident, whose relation to each other and to the varying condition 
of the sun it has seemed desirable to investigate. The sources of the data thus brought together were 
in general as follows : The Monthly Weather Review issued by The Signal Service, The Signal Service 
Daily Weather Maps and International Daily Charts, Tracings from the Declination Magnetographs 
at the Naval Observatory, Washington, and at the observatories at Toronto and Los Angelos, 
telegraphic news items from the daily papers, articles in Nature, The American Meteorological Magazine, 
Science, etc. The behavior of the aurora in high latitudes has been studied, and notes have been 
made as above described, from the Report of the International Polar Expedition at Point Barrow. 
The aim has been to outline a method of research in accordance with which data may be systematically 
arranged, and each statement verified by any one who has the facilities and will employ them in the 
manner indicated. 
Certain phases of this subject were presented by the writer at the New York and Toronto meetings 
of the American Association, and brief articles on the aurora have been furnished to Nature, to The 
Sidereal Messenger, to the Hydrogr:phic Office, and to various newspapers, but the first formal presen- 
tation of the entire subject, embodying the conclusions stated in this synopsis, was in this paper before 
the Rochester Academy of Science. 
¥ 
