COINCIDENCE OF SUN SPOTS AND AURORAL DISPLAYS. Yl 



moving southwest, it being about thirty degrees from he zenith and appearing to 

 roll like columns of smoke spirally towards the west. At 8:33, in the east were 

 two parallel streaks, the northern the heavier and the southern throwing out 

 diverging lines of light that seemed to gradually curve as they approached the 

 zenith. At 8:35 o'clock the main branches had separated at the zenith, while the 

 western one was very narrow, extending through the Northern crown. A small 

 line of light now extended from a point about three degrees north of Alpha Lyra 

 to a point about seven degrees from Eta Ursa Major. At 8:39 a brighter streak 

 appeared between Alpha Lyra and Ursa Major, while that over the Crown was 

 broken up into a series of parallel, smaller and fainter streaks. The eastern 

 branch was now very faint and narrow, and extended nearly from Pi Pisces to 

 Alpha Lyra, while all along the northern horizon was a bright rosy glow like the 

 Northern Lights, but brightest toward the west. At 8:45 the phenomenon pre- 

 sented a faint, yet beautiful appearance, and 8:55 it had vanished." 



In the Kansas City Review of Science and Industry, November, 1881,. 

 Prof. S. A. Maxwell, Morrison, Ills., remarks: 



"The mysterious band of light seen at Albany was probably, what I have 

 stated, a mere auroral arch, but, appearing as it did in the zenith, more nearly 

 resembled a band than an arch. The same viewed from a lower latitude would 

 have presented an arch-like appearance, similar to those often seen by us in the 

 distant north ; and these latter would present to an observer beneath them the 

 same band-like appearance seen at Albany." 



My point of observation was north and east of any I have seen mentioned; 

 some other explanation is needed for the appearance there presented. — Transac- 

 tions St. Louis Academy of Science. 



COINCIDENCE OF SUN SPOTS AND AURORAL DISPLAYS. 



> PROF. EDGAR L. LARKIN. 



Sunday, April i6th, will pass into the history of astronomy as an eventful 

 day. From morning to night the solar surface was in violent agitation, while 

 colossal centers of cyclonic activity were clearly seen in telescope. There were 

 III spots seen during the day, the largest being 67,000 miles in length and 48,- 

 000 miles in width. These were arranged in ten clusters, none being far from 

 the equator of the sun. Thirty-four spots was the largest number seen in any 

 cluster. Each aggregation of spots had one or two very large, the remainder 

 varying in size from medium to small. The large spot was seen at this Observa- 

 tory at 8 A. M. April 15, already advanced on the eastern edge of the sun 15 

 degrees. Throughout the 15th it did not display unusual turbulence, but during 

 Saturday night activity set in, for on Sunday morning its appearance and internal 

 structure had materially changed. It was cut into four portions by what was 



VI— 2 



