124 Notes to the Extra Observations of Magnetometers, August 29 — November 17, 1845. 



NOTES ON THE AURORA BOREALES SEEN AT MAKERSTOUN. 



Sept. 



13 25. 

 2 10 5. 



11 50. 



12 0- 



Oct. 

 Nov. 



20 13 5. 

 4 12 5. 



Nov. 



20. 

 5 6 50. 



d. h. m. 



Aug. 29 10 20. The belt portion of the arch does not join directly with the wisp portion, but has a twist a few 

 degrees to S. of the zenith, the direction of the belt near the junction is at right angles to the di- 

 rection of the wisps. 



20. A falling star to E., altitude 20°, moving towards E by S., first magnitude. 



24. The belt has shifted slowly to 10° S. of the zenith ; the portion to westward is now of a homoge- 

 neous character ; patches or wisps still in the zenith ; fading to E. 

 The light has always been very persistent ; no corruscations or pulsations being discernible. 



35. The band has the appearance of a rope of two strands teased out at the ends, extending from W. 

 to a little past zenith. 



45. The band still subsists to W., a few small patches to SSE., altitude 70°. A shooting star to SSW., 

 altitude 30°, moving S. The aurora has been always faint to NNW. 



55. The band has all disappeared except a small portion toWSW., which has assumed the form of three 

 short streamers. 



11 0. Almost every trace of aurora has now disappeared; there is still a very faint light to NNW. 



50. Aurora becoming rather brighter, still quite diffuse; patches of cirro-stratus and cirrus interspersed. 



55. A small shooting-star to S., moving to SSW. 



12 35. Streamers breaking out to N by W. ; the aurora considerably obscured by clouds. 

 45. Faint streamers thrown up throughout the aurora. 



DifRise patches of auroral light. 



Faint auroral light and faint streamers, 20° altitude, to NW. i 



Occasionally very vivid streamers close to the NW by N. horizon, length about 5° (B.) i 



0. A band of very faint light, stretching from ESE. point of horizon to S., altitude 30°, the breadth 

 perhaps 10°. The light however was so very faint as to create a suspicion of its being an optical 

 illusion ; it was certainly not the milky way ; no traces of it could be seen at 1 3^ (W.) ■ 



Faint auroral light, with patches and small streamers, altitude 5", Moon shining. ♦ 



Diffuse auroral light, to altitude 6°, interspersed with streamers, some of which rise to 15° or 20° 



altitude. 

 Avirora nearly imperceptible. 



Faint auroral arch ; azimuths of extremities N. 42° E. and N. 72° W., gi-eatest altitude of upper 

 edge 12°. At this time M. Hansteen observed an aurora at Christiania, consisting of an arch 

 of 10" altitude, with its summit at the NW., visible from 5J^ till 8^, when the sky became over- 

 cast. So that 4J° farther north the aurora has had no greater altitude than at Makerstoun. — • 

 Mem. Acad. Roy. de Belgique, tome xx, 

 Nov. 17 6 40. Faint auroral arch, about 7° altitude. 55™. Auroral arch, altitude 13°. 



7 5. Arch has become diffuse and broken, extends from N. 38° £. to N. 82° W., altitude 12^°. 15™. 

 The arch has now a depression at the middle, about 3° east of the magnetic meridian ; a faint 

 patch to N by E., altitude 26°. 

 20-25. A portion of another arch, altitude 27°, also some appearance of a third arch close to tlie 



horizon ; streamers throiighout the aurora fo'om the horizon ; the whole seen as through a fog. 

 30. The upper arch gone ; a bright patch due W. moving a little to S. ; streamers to NNE. 

 35. Auroral arch to N., in the form of a segment of a circle, altitude 11^° ; the western extremity of 

 an arch has formed, which, if completed, would have been about 30° altitude ; this had disappeared 

 at 39™ ; the aurora altogether diminished. 

 42. Very faint ; moon I'ising. 



45. Arch becoming rather more vivid, dark space below it, with small streaks of cloud to N. and N 

 by W. ; strips of cirro-stratus to NNE. 50™. Nearly as before. 55™. A faint streamer to NW. 

 within the arch. There have been patches of cirro-stratus among the aurora almost the whole 

 time. 



7 57-59. The auroral light, which had sprung up towards NE., rolled gradually westward in the dark 



space under the arch (like fire sweeping along a heath in a dark night), breaking at one time into i 

 two opposing combs, the teeth vertical. At 59™ a bright meteor, first magnitude, fell vertically j 

 from an altitude of about 25° above NNW., (i. e., in the magnetic meridian) ; it moved with consi- , 

 derable slowness, occupying perhaps two or three seconds, till it met the auroral arch, where it I 

 was suddenly and completely extinguished. , 



8 50. Double arch, the upper one 12° altitude, and the lower 4° altitude ; the lower arch is the most vivid; i 



a brush to NW. ; at 46™ and again at 52™ irregular streaks of cirri to S. 55™. Bright masses of , 

 light forming to N by E., proceeding westwards and forming a portion of an arch 8° altitude. , 

 58™. Bright brush to N by E. ; bright horizontal band to N., altitude 3°. 59™. Brushes and j 

 patches scattered throughout the aurora. j 



J 



