118 Notes to the Extra Observations of Magnetometers, January — 9, 1845. 



NOTES ON THE AURORA BOREALES SEEN AT MAKERSTOUN. 



(1. h. 



Jan. 



15 10. 



Jan. 



16 5. 



Jan. 



7 





9 7 10. 





8 5. 





8 15. 



The sky looks more milky to N. than in any other quarter. Aui-ora ? 



Aurora to W. ; faint and diffuse. Fog commencing ; dense fog at 20™. 



Aurora seen in Orkney. 



Faint auroi-al band 8° high. 20™. Slight pulsations in the aurora. 



Fine auroral arch, about 10° altitude at the vertex. 



Measured and found the summit of the arch 15°' 5 altitude, the one extremity meets the horizon at 



N. 45" E., the other about W. 13° N., but this extremity is so diffuse that the measure is but 



rough. 



8 35. The arch nearly meets the horizon at NE. ; faint and diffuse to W. 55™. Triple arch ; the middle 



one has its greatest altitude 29° ; brushes below the arches to NNE. 



9 5. The aurora in a series of four arches, stretches across the sky from WSW. to ENE., crossing near 



the zenith ; diffuse broad arches with dark strips of sky between. The E. extremity rises in 

 brushes a few degrees above the horizon. 

 9 19. Aurora in two arches, one passing 5° or 6° N. of zenith, the other 20° high ; 40° of sky between the 

 arches. 24™. The upper arch passes through the zenith ; faint brush to NNE. below the lower 

 arch. 29™. Faint portion of upper arch with the W. extremity visible ; lower arch bi-eaking in 

 the middle, the two portions making a sharp angle with each other ; pencils below to N by E. 

 34™. The western extremity of the upper arch has two branches, one passing 10° to S., the other 

 10° to N. of zenith ; pencils to N by E. 

 9 42. Aurora bright to W., passing 25^ S. of zenith, terminating in a bright patch to E. ; middle of W. 

 extremity of arch W. 22° S., of E. extremity of arch E. 18° N. Altitude of lower arch 23°. 



45. W. portion of upper arch 60° in length, split into two ; lower arch bright to NE. 49™. Pencil risen 

 from W. 28° S. 51™. Thi-ee pencils from the same point; patch of aurora, altitude of centre 

 76° above E. 14° N ; disappeared at 52™. 54™. The upper extremity of the W. pencils attains 

 the altitude 29° above S. 24° W. 55™. Lower arch very steady and complete azimuths of the 

 extremities W. 3° N., and N. 48° E. 



56. Brushes to W. brighter, varying in intensity. Lower arch, altitude 24°, breadth about 4°. (The 

 measures of altitude of the summit of arches are always made in the magnetic meridian, and the 

 highest portion of the belt is taken). 

 9 58. Western portion of the upper arch nearly extinct. 

 10 4. Tlie lower arch has broken into a sei'ied rank of pencils, very beautiful and of a bright light-green ; 

 a portion of a lower arch visible at the E. extremity ; the whole of the arches consists of series 

 of pencils or brushes. 6™. A very luminous pencil to NNW., very bright to N. 7™. Bright to 

 NW. The pencils start up evei"y%vhere, moving both vertically and sideways ; generally thev 

 are of a beautiful light-green, but some of the most vivid are tinged with red. The pencils rarely 

 if ever exceed 10° in length ; no long streamers seen. 8™. A patch to S W. ; the pencils below the 

 arch are now less distinct. 



12. Auroral arch below quite diffuse ; mass of streamers, not distinct. 13'". Faint patches cross near 

 the zenith like a portion of the upper arch again. 



13^. Meteor with reddish, sparky tail, from 37° to 27° of altitude above E. 35° S., shot nearly vertically 

 down. 



1 5. The lower arch now an amorphous mass of patches. 1 5^™. Arch forming, altitude 65°, disappearing 

 immediately ; pencils to NE. 



16-17. Patch to ENE., 25° altitude. This patch, which has reappeared frequently, seems to belong to 

 the highest arch. 18^™. Portion of an arch nearly across the zenith, another to S. of zenith 

 from W., as at first. 19™. Bright patches to NE. 



20. Bright arch passes 10° SSE. of zenith, altitude of summit of lower edge 61° above SSE. 21™. Sum- 

 mit of lower edge 56° above SSE. The lower arch to N. in one diffuse mass. 



22|-. The arch passing to S. of the zenith, has split into two portions ; the azimuths of the extremities of the 

 lower portion are W. 33° S., and E. 13° N. 24™. Streamer due W., bright to W., streamer to N. 



25. The lowest edge of the arch to S. has the altitude of 37° above SSE. There lias been a belt of 

 cirrous clouds from W. to N. throughout these observations. 



10 30. Auroral arch to S., about 30° altitude; bright to SW. 



32. Still bright to SW,, but the arch is nearly away. 36™. Bright patch on SW. horizon ; aurora 



faint to N. ; cirro-strati rising. 

 40. Patches to SSW., 20° altitude, faint; aurora faint to N., with faint streamers below ; faint on SW. 



liorizon ; cirro-strati rising to N. 

 55. Rapid pulsations and streamers. 



11 3. Pulsations to an altitude of 50°. 



