270 TEAR-BOOK OF FACTS. 



ship's sails afterwards they were found to be perforated in numerous 

 places with small holes. A very thick glass cover to one of the com- 

 passes was broken. Although several persons were struck, and 

 some knocked down on the deck, fortunately no one was seriously 

 injured." 



GREAT AURORAL DISPLAY IN 1S59. 



Professor Elias Loomis has read to the American Association a 

 paper on this phenomenon, which is probably unsurpassed ; and a 

 greater amount of information has been collected about it than 

 was ever before assembled. The details furnish materials for 

 settling several important points. The first display was seen over 

 about two-thirds of the globe, the second over the whole globe. Both 

 conform to the general law, that the region of the greatest polar 

 action is about 15° further south in the United States than in Western 

 Europe. By a comparison of observations, it appears that the 

 aurora of August 28 extended through a space from 530 to 40 miles 

 above the earth's surface, and that of September 2, from 490 to 50 

 miles above. The illumination consisted chiefly of illumined paths 

 parallel to the axis of the needle. The telegraph, and various tests 

 and experiments in connexion with it, show that during the pheno- 

 mena, electric currents were developed ecpaal to the ordinary full 

 strength of a Voltaic battery ; or, in technical terms, to 200 cups of 

 Grove's battery. This electricity must have been derived from the 

 aurora, either by transfer or induction ; if by transfer, the electricity 

 is of the same character. Professor Loomis is compelled to admit that 

 the auroral current is electricity ; its colour is just the same as that of 

 electricity passing through rarefied air. The aurora has a tendency 

 to periodicity, or rather a displacement of the auroral region. 



NEW ILANET8. 



M. Leverrier has given to the Paris Academy of Sciences the 

 positions of the new telescopic planet discovered at Washington by 

 .Mi. Ferguson, as follows : — 



Mean T. Washington. lit. Ascension. Declination. 



Sept. 1">. Bh. 39m. MrSs. 23h. 4m. 87'3*. — Sdeg. SSm. jtl'Bs. 



„ 1U. 8 M B0"B n 3 4U1 —3 2'.) 510 



He further observed, that if the plaints lately discovered were 

 classified according to the order of their publication, M. Chaoornac's 

 planet would be the 59th, Mr. Ferguson's the 60th, and M. Gold- 

 Schmidt's the 61st. 11<' then informed the Academy that a 62nd 

 planet, according to • letter from M. Bncke, bad been discovered :it 

 Berlin. M. Leverrier baving communicated M. Chaoornac's dis- 

 covery to M. Enoke at Berlin on the 1 ith alt,. Dr. Forster and 

 M. Lesser, being informed of the fact by him, immediately sought 

 ..lit. the new planet, and band one near the plaoe where it was to !"■, 

 which, th e r efo re, they took to i»- M . Chacomao's. Bat, <>n con- 

 tinuing their observations, they became aware that the elements of 

 theirs did not coincide with those of the other, and consequently 

 writ- forcibly led to the conclusion that their planet was t different 



