JVo. XIV. 



**""■■—'--'■"-— ""—— — — ~ 



AN OBSERVATION 



Of the Auroral Appearance in the Evening of the first 

 day of August 1783, at Durham, 



BY THE LATE REV. ELIZUR GOODRICH, D.D. 



FIRST observed this appearance at viii. 56. at which 

 time a zone of auroral light extended almost from 

 the western to the eastern horizon. I was observing 

 the heavens not ten minutes before, and then saw no- 

 thing of it. I am informed it arose suddenly from the 

 north-western part of the heavens, and with a swift mo- 

 tion coruscated to the eastern. When I first observed 

 it, it pointed to the western part of the horizon, at about 

 N. W. by W. and to the eastern at a little south of east, 

 though it was not clearly to be discerned on either hori- 

 zon. In the western quarter, there was a beautiful pro- 

 fusion of clear and bright light, almost sufficient to con- 

 ceal the stars under those of the second magnitude ; this 

 rose almost to the meridian, where the light grew fainter, 

 and went on decreasing toward the east. In the western 

 part, the light was so great and strong, and so entirely 

 covering the heavens, that particular streaks or corusca- 

 tions could be distinguished only in the outer borders of 



S 



