Notes to the Extra Observations of Magnetometers, March 18 — August 29, 1845. 123 



NOTES ON THE AURORA BOEEALES SEEN AT MAKERSTOUN. 



d. h. m. 



March 18 10 15. 



f 



29. 



1 



49. 



March 19 



10 10. 



March 23 



13 10. 





14 10. 



March 24 



15 5. 



March 26 



11 10. 





13 10. 





14 10. 



March 29 



11 15. 





35. 





45. 



April 13 11 10. 



12 0. 



13 10. 







14 6 

 23 







53 

 15 29. 







16 4 







18 5- 



April 

 April 



Aug. 



19 

 30 



29 



11 5. 



11 15. 



13 10 



9 55. 



10 7. 

 15. 



There is little doubt there is an aurora ; along with it, however, there is the phenomenon of auroral- 

 like cirrous streaks. A series of arches of cirrous streaks extend from WSW. to NE., altitude 

 of the highest 45° above NNW., breadth of streaks about 8°, then a belt of sky, and from 25° or 

 so above the horizon the whole is aurora or cirri, or both, with dark streaks amidst ; the moon- 

 light renders all doubtful. 



Cirrous streaks within 1 0° of zenith. 



The cirrous arches in strips now cover nearly the whole sky, rising from SW by W. and NE. ■? A 

 lunar halo is formed in the streaks. Afterwards the cirri moved off towards SE. 



Auroral light to N. ; rendered faint by the moonlight. 11'* 10™ and 12'' 10°*. Auroral light. 13** 

 10™. Faint auroral light. 



Aurora. Streamers 1 near horizon. Linear cirri radiate from SSW., a lunar halo is formed in 

 them, which is barred by the strips of cirri ; cirro-stratus on N. horizon. 



Aurora not well marked on account of the bright moonlight. 



Clear to N. ; sky very milky near horizon. 



The sky seems rather light, especially to NNW. and SSE., the former probably due to faint aurora, 

 the latter to a rising moon ] the banks of clouds on both these points render it difficult to deter- 

 mine. Two or three flashes of lightning seen about lO"*. 



Auroral light to N. ? seen above cirro-stratous scud; doubtful, however, from moonlight. 



Sky milky ; the moon projects the shadow of the clouds in the air. Faint aurora ? Stormy about 12^*. 



Faint auroral light to NNW. ; sky milky. 



Aurora rather brighter, brightest near N. ; pulsations 1 



Less bright ; cirri radiate from NNW. ; sky milky, whiter in some places than others ; like thin haze 

 to W. and S. and NW. ; stars seen dimly through it ; a bank or ai-ch like a crepviscular arch to E. 



An auroral arch about 15° altitude, brightest towards the E., the W. end probably being rendered 

 fainter by the light of the moon; very little change till about 18™, when it suddenly broke en- 

 tirely up into patches and bundles of streamers, some of the streamers reaching to about 50° 

 altitude ; some of the patches very bright, they moved about considerably, but in no particular 

 direction : after a little the aurora grew fainter. 



Aurora faint. 



Vivid aurora, with, large, broad and persistent streamers. 26™. Auroral arch about 35° altitude, 

 with pencils inside the arch, very vivid. 33™. Arch irregular, continuous and rapid pulsations, 

 streamers, &c. 38™. Arch broken and diffuse, with slight variation, few streamers. 42™ — 43™. 

 Arch flat, 15° (?) altitude; aurora homogeneous, slight change. 47™ — 48™. Arch higher and 

 brighter, much of it covered by cirro-cumulus and cirro-stratus. 52™ — 53™. Nearly as before, 

 bright to NE. 57™ — 58™. Arch higher, much as before in brightness, but becoming more and 

 more covered with clouds. 



Clouds 9.5. Aurora brightest to NE. 



Aurora apparently much fainter,' seen through the openings of the clouds. 34™. Aurora much 

 brighter. 48™. Vivid patches seen between the clouds. 

 -54. Vivid streamers. 



Aurora vivid. 35™. Aurora extends to an altitude of 50°, nearly homogeneous, with pulsations. 

 50™. Aurora evidently fainter ; wind rising. 



Auroral patches in zenith? Aurora to S. ? ; light to S. 9™. Sky milky ? or aurora; not very 

 bright to N., but clouds there. 25™. Sky overcast with hazy cloud ; rain commencing. 

 -15. A long strip of light above the sun (E by N.), like the sun reflected from much rippled water, 

 cirri radiating from NNW. (magnetic north.) 



Milky-like to NNW. Aurora 1 



Faint auroral light to N. / 



Idem. 



A bright and very complete belt of auroral light stretching entirely across the sky from ENE. to 

 WSW., the part nearest the zenith having an altitude of 80° from the SSE. ; at both extremities 

 of the belt there was a slight turn towards tlie N. ; the breadth at the broadest part was about 

 2° or 2^°, becoming less near the horizon ; a diffuse auroral light to northward. 



The belt has now gradually disappeared, except a small portion to WSW., which still remains in 

 the form of a narrow streamer ; a few faint streamers to NNW. 



A portion of an arch to westward, composed of wisps of auroral light placed en echelon, about 2° or 

 3° apart, and their length from 5° to 10° each, varying in width, cand more or less irregular ; a belt 

 of light to eastward; the highest wisps point to NW., the lowest to WSW., the directions vary- 

 ing gradually between these. 



