Other
Scientific paper
Sep 1898
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1898natur..58..496r&link_type=abstract
Nature, Volume 58, Issue 1508, pp. 496 (1898).
Other
Scientific paper
THIS evening, at about three minutes past eight, on looking out towards the south-west, I was struck by the appearance of a shaft of white light stretching from that direction upwards towards a point 10° or 20° south of the zenith, and immediately on reaching open ground, whence a wide view was obtained, became aware that a fine display of aurora borealis was in progress. The shaft of light successively appeared and disappeared at intervals of a few seconds, and each time further eastwards, but each section was separated from the last by a space of unilluminated sky, as if there were regular spaces in the course of the beam incapable of being set aglow. Very soon after passing overhead the illumination became faint and disappeared eastwards, but now a strong glow appeared again near the horizon under a cloud south-west by west, and this rapidly grew upwards, repeating the phenomenon described in the first case. This occurred at least eleven or twelve times with little variation, except that the shaft became broader and more diffuse. The glow near the horizon south-westwards was always, followed by the passage of the light across the sky within 1 to 1½ mins., and each travelling beam was separated from the last by an interval of 1½ to 2 mins. Meanwhile the sky north-westwards showed a pale white steady auroral light, which was at first attributed to the remains of twilight, but which continued to increase till about 8.30, when it was sufficiently strong to cast shadows and to show large print distinctly. This illumination extended slowly upwards from the north until it covered a great part of the sky up to the zenith, and seemed to be due to the luminosity of the great sheet of cirrus and cirrostratus which had covered the sky since 3.30 p.m., for it exactly imitated the distribution forms of the cloud which I had noted during the afternoon. This cloud, unilluminated, did not appreciably obscure the stars. The lacuna; of dark interspaces, while the surrounding sky shone with pale light, resembled bands or puffs of dark smoke,'but remained fixed in the same situation, and altogether the phenomenon was strangely persistent, the only evident changes being a gradual shifting from north-west to north-east, and at about 9 p.m. a rosy streak north-eastwards. A little later fresh rays were shooting up from north-west by west, somewhat resembling those which an hour previously had emerged from south-west by west, but more steady and unbroken. At 9.55 a faint light was still to be seen in a north-westerly direction. Two hours before this grand exhibition we had been able to get a good view of the large spot on the sun, the intervening bank of cirriform cloud making his appearance through a telescope more like that of the moon. I have not seen any authoritative statements as to interruption of telegraphic messages or other magnetic disturbances coincident with or preceding the visible aurora, but no doubt some effect must have been observed.
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