126 Notes to the Extra Observations of Magnetometers, December 3, 1845. 



NOTES ON THE AURORA BOREALES SEEN AT MAKERSTOUN. 



d. h. m. 

 Dec. 3 7 27. Serried rows of brushes moving and undulating in three rows or arches coloured green, with 

 occasional red. 

 28. Faint arch 25° altitude ; clouds to NNW. 



30. Irregular brushes to NNE, 



31. At this time commenced the most beautiful phenomenon of the evening which it is impossible to de- 

 scribe completely. A vertical scroll or sheet of beams, with one extremity nearly fixed to NE by 

 N. or NNE., altitude 10° at the bottom, commenced unwinding itself, assuming the forms of a 

 succession of scrolls, which undulated with a worm-like motion; meanwlxile the beams of green 

 rolled backwards and forwards ; the foremost or advancing portion of the scroll was generally red- 

 dish, and moved towards the NW. The whole period of unfolding the scroll could not be above 1™. 



33. Another scroll-like mass of pencils to NE. 

 36. Low arch of brushes ; black band below them for some time. 

 38. Irregular mass of brushes. 



42. A sheet unfolding to W., and rolling along ; gorgeous. 



46. Most magnificent lights to W., with beautiful green and red. 



49. Aurora faint, pencils above the arch. 



51. Pencils rising from WSW., and broken arches passing nearly through the zenith. 

 59. — 8^. 6'". Like a large pair of wings pulsating near zenith, appearing and disappearing, 



8 0. A wavy sheet of auroral light, passing about 10° to S. of the zenith, principally composed of patches, 

 each patch having the appearance of a pair of half-expanded wings, the fi-ont of them being to- 

 wards the E. ; very rapid pulsations proceeding along the belt fi-om eastward, several times in a 

 second ; the patches become faint or nearly disappear, in the intervals between the pulsations. 



4. Sheets unfolding and rolling along to N. 



5. An arch to N. about 45° broad, altitude of the lower edge 40° ; the lower edge is formed upon un- 

 folding sheets. The belt through the zenith has disappeared. 



11. Vivid extremity of an arch to NE. 



14. The arch brightest to NE. 

 16. A patch of scud to SW., and a black patch below the arch to NNE. ; diffuse homogeneous light 



over the whole of the north portion of the sky. 

 21. Bright auroral arch, with patches of black cloud. 



26. E. extremity of arch a sea of flame, with black, island-like clouds in the midst. 

 30. An arch, with a very brilliant border. 



32. Pencils on the arch at considerable distances fi-om each other ; a bright speck on NNW. horizon. 



34. Brushes below the arch to N by W., arch cycloidal at the terminations. 

 36. Arch like a portion of an ellipse. 



38. A portion of a bright arch, formed under the foi-mer arch. 



40. The arch is rather brealcing up, altitude 10°. 



41. A beam immediately above the moon, which is setting, to WSW. 

 55. The eastern portion of an arch to SE. altitude 35°; homogeneous light to N. 

 58. Pencils to NE. 



9 5. There is still a portion of a faint arch to S. altitude 25°. 

 9. Arch to S. very faint, 20° altitude ; amorphous light to N. 



35. Circular segment of auroral light to altitude 15°. An arch 45^^ altitude composed of patches of 

 nebulous light, pulsations throughovit the aurora. 



45. Faint bands and patches all over the NW. portion of sky to altitude of 70°. 

 11 0. Flash of lightning on SSW. horizon ; auroral arch still bright. 



15. Auroral arch stretching from W by S. to NE., altitude of inner edge 15°, 10"" to 15° broad ; occa- 

 sional bands and patches, to an altitude of 45° ; very little change has occurred for an hour. 



13 15. Auroral arch falling in the middle, with brushes below. 

 25. Arch about 10° broad in bands with brushes. j 

 32. Arch somewhat elliptical on the inner edge, and circular on the outer edge, altitude of inner edge 



about 10°, of outer edge 20°. 



39. The eastern side of the inner edge of the arch slopes off like the outer edge, the western side re- 

 maining more vertical, as at 32°'. 



50. Arch formed of irregular bands, total altitude 40°, altitude of inner edge, rather fallen in in the 

 middle, 10°. 



14 5. Arch again complete. 12™. Brushes within the arch to NNE. ; a second arch forms occasionally 

 by fi'equent pulsations at an altitude of 35°. 



14. Bright pencils to NE. ; second arch of short pencils. 



