AUCKLAND, ROBERT J. E. 



AURORA BOREALI8. 



61 



. .itinns absolutely. Hut, us I hardly 

 anticipate any opportunity of mak- 

 thuroii^h drtn-minatioM of tin- constants 

 .arti<>n, or of tin- errors of graduation, it 

 ; to arrange for a differential com- 

 putation at least at iirst. 



It is improbable that a sufficient number 

 il-detci-mined stars will ho found uvuil- 

 i \cu for this differential reduction, and 

 ity may thus be entailed of deter- 

 mining tho comparison-stars myself, this do- 

 lermination, however, itself depending upon 

 ml star-places. So far as possible I pro- 

 nnploying those heretofore determi:i*-d 

 by me, and published by the Coast Survey, 

 which form the basis of the star-places of tho 

 American Nautical Almanac. 



With these observations of position it is my 

 hope to combine others of a physical character 

 to some extent; but, in the presence of a plan 

 implying so much labor and effort, it would be 

 unwise to rely upon the possibility of accom- 

 plishing much more than the zone-work. 



" Tho meteorological relations of the place 

 are very peculiar, but I dare not undertake 

 any connected series of observations bearing 

 upon these, without self-registering apparatus, 

 which is beyond my means." 



AICKLA.ND, ROBERT Jonx EDEX, D. D., 

 third Lord, Baron Auckland, in the peerage of 

 England and Ireland ; from 1847 to 1854, Bish- 

 op of Sodor and Man, and from 1854 to 1869 

 Bishop of Bath and Wells, an English prelate 

 and nobleman, born in London, in 1799 ; died 

 at Bath, England, April 25, 1870. He was the 

 third son of the first Lord Auckland, and was 

 educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Cam- 

 bridge. After his induction into holy orders, 

 he was successively Rector of Eyam, Der- 

 byshire, of Hertingtonbury, Herts, and of 

 Battersea, Surrey, and was one of the chap- 

 lains to her Majesty. He was consecrated 

 Bishop of Sodor and Man in 1847, and suc- 

 ceeded to the title of Baron in 1849, on the death 

 of his elder brother, the Governor-General of 

 India. In 1854 he was transferred to the See of 

 Bath and Wells, on the death of Dr. Bagot. Ho 

 held this bishopric till 1869, when, on reaching 

 his seventieth year, ho resigned. He was also 

 visit <>r of Wadham College, Oxford. Lord 

 Auckland was an able writer, and was not in- 

 ferior in intellectual ability to the other mem- 

 bers of his gifted family. His sermons, charges, 

 and addresses, were much above tho average of 

 those of the English bishops generally. In 

 1860 ho published a very interesting biography 

 of his father, under the title of "Life and 

 Correspondence of the First Lord Auckland." 

 After resigning the bishopric, he continued to 

 at Bath, where, in 1869, his sister, the 

 lion. Emily Eden (see AXNCAL CYCLOPAEDIA 

 for 1869) died. 



AURORA BOREALIS. A very brilliant 

 and widely-seen exhibition of the aurora took 

 place on the night of October 24th. It was 

 visible in the northern and western parts of 



lies, Canada, England, France, 

 (in-many, and most <>t Kiin-pr. In this country 

 il was less striking in tho beautiful variety of 

 phenomena than t lie aurora of April 15, 1809. 

 Its manifestations at New York, Cleveland, 

 Cincinnati, St. Louis, and also in Canada, con- 

 .M-'.i-d mostly of variations from a pink to a 

 deep-red light, producing the effect of a great 

 <".ntlagration shining up from the northeastern 

 horizon. As seen from New York the auroral 

 waves began to move up from tho north about 

 11.30 P. M. At 3 A. M. a beautiful emerald 

 arch was formed. During the continuance of 

 tho aurora the telegraph between Philadelphia 

 and llarrisburg was operated without a bat- 

 tery; the Newfoundland. lines were so much 

 disturbed that they ceased working. In Eng- 

 land the display was the most magnificent ever 

 witnessed there. It commenced soon after 

 dark and continued till past midnight, exhibit- 

 ing all the play of colors, and the effects which 

 at less favorable opportunities are seen, sep- 

 arately. While at its height a falling star in 

 the constellation Auriga, covered by the auro- 

 ra, was perceived, indicating that the aurora 

 must have been quite near to the earth, as 

 shooting-stars are believed to be generally 

 within about 60 miles of the terrestrial surface. 

 The planet Jupiter and the Pleiades showed 

 distinctly through the crimson canopy, but 

 stars of the third magnitude, such as the four 

 stars in Cassiopeia, were rendered invisible. 

 The ruddy light was so brilliant that a rosy 

 tinge was cast on watch-faces, and other white 

 objects. Telegraphs in England were much 

 deranged during the display, and for previous 

 hours of the day strong earth-currents had 

 been noticed on all the northern and many of 

 the northwestern and Irish circuits. In France 

 the aurora was no less remarkable, and super- 

 stitious persons regarded its blood-red aspect 

 as having some bearing upon the future of tho 

 war. The following account from a competent 

 observer at Oxford sums up tho general appear- 

 ances of the aurora in England : 



This evening, October 2ith, occurred one of tho 

 grandest displays of auroral lights which has prob- 

 ably ever been witnessed in these latitudes. 



As I was t at a few minutes after seven o'clock, 

 ]i:issi ng through the observatory with the intention 

 of observing with the heliometer, my attention was 

 attracted by the brightness of the northern portion 

 of the sky. On going out into tho North Garden, I 

 perceived that this was due to a general illumination 

 of the sky of about that intensity which is produced 

 by the rising of the full moon on the sky immediate- 

 ly above it, the moon itself not being visible. The 

 coat rust between this white illuminated sky and 

 the deep ordinary blue on the south side of the 

 zenith was very striking, the two portions being 

 with moderate accuracy separated by the prime ver- 

 tical. 



On the south side of the zenith was observed what 

 appeared to be an illuminated cloud, extending near- 

 ly from tho zenith in a southeasterly direction for 

 about forty degrees. Finally there was at this time 

 a well-defined arch of light, corresponding pretty 

 accurately in position with tho equator, and visible 

 from cant to west nearly to the horizon ; and, be- 

 neath this arch, the sky was unusually dark, the 



