320 Prof. E. Loomis on the Aurora of 1859. 
about 15° further south than in eastern Europe. ; 
We have been able to collect sufficient materials for determin- 
ing with tolerable precision the height of these auroral displays 
above the earth’s surface. At the most southern stations, the 
aurora rose only a few degrees above the northern horizon; at 
more northern stations, the aurora rose higher in the heavens; 
at certain stations it just attained the zenith; at stations further 
north the aurora covered the entire northern heavens, as well as 
a portion of the southern; and at places further north the entire 
visible heavens, from the northern to the southern horizon, were 
overspread with the auroral light. The following table presents 
a summary of a few of the most definite observations on the 
aurora of Aug. 28th, 1859, at about 8h 42™ p. m., New Haven tme. 
Taste I. Ue ee 
Locality. |Latitude, Extent of auroral display. |_Autbority._ 
North side of Jamaica,|18° 20’|Like the light of a fire. A.J., v. 29, p- 265. 
na mas, |21_ 18 |Remarkably brilliant. “ y, 29, p. 264 
Hava : 23 9 |Rose 28° above the north horizon.| “ v.28,p-404- 
Key West, Florida, [24 83/|Rose about 30° “ “ « y,30, p. 349 
Savannah, Georgia, 32 65 |Rose some 45° “ « a A) 
The following table presents a summary of observations of 
e€ same aurora, made at the same hour, at places where the 
auroral light covered the entire northern heavens as well as 4 
portion of the southern. 
Taste IL 
Locality. | Latitude. Extent of auroral display. ] Serr 
dy Spring, Md., |39° 9’|Extended to 51° from south horizon-A. J., v.29. P: ik 
‘Gettysburgh, Pa, [89 49 “ 30 “ “« “ Mion 2h 59 
Philadelphia, Pa., [89 57 25° * “ « y,29, p- 258. 
Burlington, N. J, |40 5 er ae “ v.29, -258 
New Haven, Conn., |41 18 “ 103 * “ “ y, 28, p- 304. 
West Point, N. Y., |41 28 sedis | aeons “ .°% ng 
Newburyport, Mass.|42 48 “ 6 « “« « y, 29, p- - 
Lewiston, Maine, [44 5 “ ‘c* es ae 
If we combine the preceding observations in Table I. we shall 
find that the lower limit of the auroral light was elevated ed 
six miles above the earth’s surface, and that its southern ro 
was vertical over the parallel of 38° 50’ N. latitude in Miser" 
_ Now it is considered as established that the auroral sear 
are luminous beams sensibly parallel to the direction of the ve 
ping needle. But the dip of the needle in lat. 88° 50’ 7 
