Auroræ: Their Characters and SpectraCapron, J. Rand
History
Auroræ: Their Characters and Spectra
Capron, J. Rand
Auroras
[Sidenote: Number limited to Finland only small.]
The number limited to Finland, for which hitherto corresponding
observations from other lands are wanting, is very small—212, or 19 per
cent. of the whole number seen in Finland. With the increase of frequency
of the phenomena at the time of maximum, the number observed in Finland
and America on the same day increases; while those observed in Finland
and Europe only, or in Finland only, decreased, in accordance with the
known law that with the frequency the intensity and extent also increase.
[Sidenote: One third of Auroræ seen in America and Europe simultaneously.]
Between 1826 and 1855, of 2878 days on which, in America, the Northern
Lights were seen, there were 1065 on which they were also visible in
Europe; so that at least every third day of Auroræ was common to both
these portions of the globe. In the years 1846 to 1855, and 1868 to 1872,
there were in the first period 657 Northern-Light days common to America
and Europe out of 1691, and in the second 397 out of 715.
[Sidenote: Local occurrence of the Aurora not in favour of its assumed
cosmical nature.]
The comparison by Prof. Fritz of M. Moberg’s Finland observations has
been lately reviewed in ‘Nature’ (March 8, 1878) and the result arrived
at that, “After ten years, in spite of the vastly accumulated material of
careful observations, there appears no necessity to change Herr Fritz’s
system of curves in any essential detail; indeed certain parts of the
same, which were at first only based on probability and supposition
(the part of the principal zone between the north of Norway and Nishen
Kolynisk as an instance), we now know with perfect certainty to be
correct.” It has been remarked that the local occurrence of Auroræ is
not in accordance with the hypothesis of the phenomenon being one of a
cosmical nature.
The winter of 1870 was remarkable for brilliant displays; and the
displays of October 24th and 25th, 1870, were remarkably brilliant in
England and in America also, and the Aurora Australis was seen on the
same days at Madras. These displays were seen in England and America
in the daytime as patches or coronæ of white light, with streamers
stretching upward from them.
CHAPTER VI.
THE AURORA IN CONNEXION WITH OTHER PHENOMENA.
_Auroræ and Clouds._
[Sidenote: Auroræ and clouds. Dr. Richardson’s observations. Aurora
constantly accompanied by or immediately precedes the formation of
cirro-stratus.]
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