44 



NATURE 



\_Nov. i6, 1871 



arch extending from the E. to the S.W. by S. horizon, visible 

 for ten minutes. 



At iih. 30m. only.i few faint streamers, and at 12 o'clock the 

 arch was again visible to the S.E., but aurora very faint. 



During the progress of the display the peculiar undulatory 

 phases noticed last year were particularly observed. The waves 

 of light seemed to chase each other in rapid succession along the 

 radiating streaks, coming into collision at the ]:)oint of converg- 

 ence. The semicircular masses surrounding this ].ioint apjiear- 

 ing as if they occupied a fixed position in the sky, and becoming 

 visible to the eye only as the intermittent waves reached them, 

 somewhat analogous to the waves of the ocean dashing against 

 a rock and breaking over it in a mass of white foam. 



In conclusion may I venture to suggest the application of 

 photography to auroral phenomena ; and perhaps some of your 

 readers might practicaUy answer the query, " Can a photograph 

 be taken of an auroral display?" 



RoiiERT McClure 



342, Argyle Street, Glasgow, Nov. 11 



There was a brilliant display of Aurora fiorealis here on the 

 evenings of Thursday and Friday, November 9 and 10 — 

 especially the latter night. Towards 7 o'clock a hazy light began 

 to spread itself over the [northern sky, near the horizon, not 

 unlike a brilliant twilight. At 8 r.M. two arches were quite 

 distinct, the upper one being well defined, with its apex passing 

 through the head of Ursa Major. Gradually streamers began 

 to pass from this, and by gh. 15m. the scene was simply 

 gorgeous. I do not remember ever seeing the streamers so ex- 

 panded — more like flames, nor possessing such intense whiteness, 

 so much so, that the evening was almost as light as if the moon 

 had been shining. After proceeding from the upper arch, their 

 course was most rapid to the zenith — apparently passing at times 

 behind clouds, then suddenly emerging — where a magnificent 

 N\hirling motion was formed, which kept changing in true 

 Protean fashion. A grand, though somewhat dingy, red haze 

 next appeared in the «est, which gradually ascended towards the 

 zenith, when it disappeared. RIeanwhile flashes of light, re- 

 sembling summer lightning, darted upwards from about 45° from 

 all directions, and not least from the south — the N. W. heavens 

 assuming a muddy green colour. About a quarter-past ten r.M. 

 the aurora gradually diminished, especially the upper arch, and 

 streamers from it. Then the lower arch began to give off' 

 streamers, but these were short and. of short duration, though of 

 considerable brightness. The display of Friday, if it fell short 

 of those of October 23 and 24, 1S70, in point of brilliant colours, 

 surpassed them in some respects — e.g. extent of streamers, and 

 brilliancy of light. Barometer corrected and reduced 29 "472 : 

 Temperature 32.° Thom.as Fawcett 



Blencowe School, Cumberland 



There was a very bright Aurora here last night : the streamers 

 were white, with a red glow in some places. At about ten there 

 was that beautiful and rare phenomenon — a "corona" of 

 streamers converging at the zenith. The barometer was about 

 29 '6. This morning is fine, with the barometer rising. 



Joseph John Murphy 



Old Forge, Dunmurry, Co. iVnlrim, Nov. 1 1 



There have been two magnificent auroral displays on the nights 

 of the 9th and lOth inst. That on the 9th commenced at 10 

 o'clock, and continued with little interruption until 12.45 ! ^"^1 

 last night from 9.40 until 12 o'clock. Both displays were in the 

 north and north-west, and at times the streamers reached the 

 zenith, but 1 did not observe them to pass beyond that point. 

 The colours were varied ; at one time of a beautiful crimson, at 

 another a greenish white. Last night's display was the most in- 

 teresting, but not so brilUant as that of the previous night. The 

 aurora made its first appearance by an undefined redness in the 

 north ; it then gradually developed into a crimson, and assumed 

 the shape of a vertical pillar, the upper part tapering to a clearly 

 defined point, within a few degrees of the zenith. It remained 

 in this shape and position for two minutes, and then faded away. 

 At 10.15 there appeared, at about 10 degrees above the horizon, 

 a peculiar lightness, like the edge of a dark horizontal cloud illu- 

 minated by the hidden moon, but I could distinctly discern some 

 stars below the illuminated stratum, which proves that the clvnd 

 was transparent ; the stars could not, however, be seen through 

 the lightness. At 10.40 there were three distinct streamers 



shooting up from this light, emanating from separate parts, but 

 all in the north and north-vest. They then assumed an easterly 

 movement, the right hand streamer before disappearing being in 

 the north-cist. The centre one of these was of a very light 

 colour, approaching a faint or v/hitish green ; the others were 

 crimson. At 11 o'clock I saw an exceedingly brilliant pc.teh un- 

 defined in the north-east ; by this time some clouds, stratified 

 horizontally, rose from the northern horizon and passed into the 

 light part of the heavens, which seemed to influence the display 

 by intensifying the streamers, which were shooting up, at this 

 time, to the zenith. At 1 1.30 I saw six beams start across east 

 and west, of a whitish colour with dark spaces between, and the 

 southern one in the zenith. The northern streamer now disap- 

 peared, but the i;/" <;/•(;/ /7i'//4'-///' was still visible, although gra- 

 dually fading, and by 12 o'clock all was darkness. I did not 

 continue my observation beyond this hour, the temperature not 

 being conducive to personal comfort. 



I may remark that with the exception of the few clouds which 

 rose last night, both nights were perfectly cloudless, and the 

 milky way shone with uncommon splendour. A portion of this 

 band of stars at one time looked grand, as one mighty streamer 

 ran along its course, some of the largest stars being visible 

 through the intercepting redness. 



I hope that some of your correspondents will give particulars 

 of any magnetic disturbances which may have occurred on the 

 nights of the above displays. John Jeremiah 



43, Red Lion Street, Nov. II 



P. S. — I have been informed that the white horizontal light 

 mentioned in my communication of the nth inst. was visible at 

 7.30 on the night of the 9th, but no streamers were seen until 

 the time stated by me. 



On Saturday night, at 7.45, I sa\\' in the north-western sky a 

 slight auroral redness, but it did not last more than two minutes. 



Nov. 13 J- J- 



Nov. loth, II P.M. — I have just witnessed a most magnificent 

 display of Aurora. I first saw it at 9. 30. Here is an account 

 of it. The bearings given are magnetic. 



9.30 P.M. — On the W. was a deep crimson glow of the richest 

 possible colour, about 50° broad and 60° high. From W. N. W. 

 to N. the sky was filled by a mass of white light, pulsating in 

 long horizontal masses moving upwards. At 9.36 they were 

 moving, not very uniformly, at the rate of 33 waves per minute. 

 From the N. to the E. extended a bright horizontal bend of 

 steady white light, marked with vertical lines and having jagged 

 edges. Suddenly from the centre of it shot up a vertical white 

 streamer 3° or 4° wide ; this remained stationary for a few minutes 

 and then gradually faded away. 



At 9.38 a fan-shaped mass of white light appeared at N.N. E. 

 At 9.45 a band of white light extending from the horizon to a 

 height of about 20°. From the centre of this streamed upwards 

 a kind of waving flag of intense red light, about 20° broad and 

 reaching to the zenith. At N.N.E. the fan was gone and a 

 bright horizontal band of white light marked with vertical lines 

 had taken its place. It was almost 40° long and 30° high. At 

 9.50 there appeared an arch^ of white light about 10' thick. 

 The centre was about 60° high, white, the ends were on the 

 horizon at E. N.E. and N.W. This vanished and was replaced 

 by a horizontal white band, about 60" long and 10° high, the 

 lower edge being about 20" above the horizon. Out of this pre- 

 sently rose four beautiful white streamers. At 9.52 an intensely 

 bright red light was observed at W. At the N.E. were a few 

 patches of white light. At the N.N.E. appeared about ten ver- 

 tical white streaks for a minute or so. They were 15° high and 

 filled a horizontal space of about 20°. At 9. 53 a rather fine 

 meteorite fell. At the N. W. was a red stream about 30° broad 

 and 80° high, while at W.S.W. was amass of red light. At 

 9.55 the mass of white light at E.N.E. threw out a number of 

 jets of light in shape like the streams of water from the rose of 

 a watering can. At 10 p.m. the arch which had vanished re- 

 appeared, reaching from W.N.W. to E.N.E. It glowed with 

 a deep white light, which was motionless, except that at 10.2 I 

 observed two downward waves. At 10.3 a long streamer grew 

 out of it. At 10.5 the right-hand end was tossed up into the form 

 of a haycock. At 10.8 a glow spread upwards from the centre 

 of the arch, and filled the upper part of the sky. At the same 

 time a slight patch of red light reappeared in the W. The sky 

 to the S. was lighted up with the reflection of the white light in 

 the N. The reflected light seemed to have a faint reddish tinge. 



