1830. Dec. 11 A grand aurora from 7 to 12 P. M. in England, and still more so in the State of New York, America-Howard, vol. iii. page 373. Ph. Mag. vol. ix. pages 159, 394. Br. vol. v. page 263 12 Another aurora nearly equally fine and extensive in Europe and America. Same ref. 13 & 14 Faint aurora at Gosport and Bedford-Ph. Mag. vol. ix. page 159 and 395 An aurora, Ackworth, Yorkshire-H. vol. iii. page 373 A fine aurora, Manch. Gosport-Ph. Mag. vol. ix. page 159. An aurora-Bl. 6 An aurora, Manchester, Gosport-Ph. Mag. 7 From sunset till morning, one of the finest auroræ ever seen; England, Scotland, Paris, Brussels-H. vol. iii. page 373. Ph. Mag. vol. ix. pages 127, 151, 233. Scotsman Newspaper, &c. J. J. vol. x. page 381 8 An aurora-Bl. page 235. page 395 Gosport-Ph. Mag. vol. ix. 10 An aurora-Bl. 11 An aurora at Kendal-Br. vol. vi. page 184 21 Bedford-Ph. Mag. vol. ix. page 395 An aurora at Manchester, at 10 P. M.-Mr. Feb. 11 An aurora at Manchester-Bl. 14 An aurora-Bl. March 6 A low aurora-Bl. Also Lancaster Gazette 17 An aurora-Lancaster Gazette 7 A fine aurora at 7 P. M.-Bl. Also at Gosport from 7 to 10-Ph. Mag. vol. ix. page 399 1831. March 8 An aurora from 11 P. M. to 1 A. M. Manchester 11 An aurora, Manchester-Bl. Marsden, Lan from 8 P. M. to i A. M.; fine and elevated-Ph. Mag. vol. ix. page 466 20 A faint aurora, Gosport, low from 10 to 12 P. M. -Ph. Mag. vol. ix. page 466 23 An aurora at 11 P. M. Manchester-Mr. Burton May 30 A slight aurora in the North at 10 P. M. Gosport-Ph. Mag. vol. x. page 79 Sept. 12 An aurora, or horizontal light, Manchester-Bl. A faint aurora from 8 to 10 P. M., Gosport-Ph. Mag. vol. x. page 398 Oct. 29 1832. Jan. 27 Sept. 23 An aurora, or horizontal light, Manchester-Bl. From 10 to 11 P. M. an aurora, reaching about 16° alt., Gosport-Ph. Mag. vol. x. page 571 An aurora, Manchester-Bl. An auroral arch, and streamers, Mr. R. Potter, Nov. 1 Evening, luminous N., Manchester. Aurora at 4 Dcc. 21 above Mag. & Jour. vol. ii. page 239 Aurora at Lincoln-London Paper At 7 P. M. an auroral arch, Newcastle-uponTyne, Mr. R. Potter-See above Journal, page 233 G G 1833. Feb. 11 An aurora-Mr. Peter Clare, Manchester An aurora-Bl. 18 19 An aurora 11 P. M.-Mr. Hadfield, Manchester An aurora at Cambridge-Phil. M. Lond. & Edin. vol. ii. page 315 Mar. 13 21 A luminous aurora, Manchester-Phil. M. Lond. & Edin. vol. iii. page 422. Seen in Scot An aurora, Greta-bridge-Mr. John Phillips, York An aurora at Bury, &c.-R. A fine aurora from 8 to 11, Manchester. Very An aurora inferior to the one last night, Manch. An aurora at Catteric-bridge, Yorkshire-R. 1814. Sept. 11 OMITTED. A fine auroral arch in Great Britain and Ireland -A. P. vol. iv. page 362 On the height of the Aurora Borealis. EVER Since the phenomena of the aurora borealis have been observed, the height and distance of the meteor have naturally been subjects of inquiry. Yet, to the no small discredit of Meteorology, there are, at this day, some persons who hold the height of the aurora to be one thousand miles, others who hold that one thousand feet may be nearer the truth, and others who think its height may, in particular instances, be the one or the other of these extremes, as well as all the intermediate heights. Some excuse for this diversity of opinion may be adduced, from the circumstance that the phenomena are subject to long periods of intermission. In some periods, they are rarely seen for great part of an age; in other periods, they may be viewed thirty, forty, or fifty times in each successive year, as was the case forty years since, in Great Britain; but when they do occur, it is only one time in ten perhaps in which the phenomena excite universal attention, and afford such data as are more particularly useful for obtaining their height above the earth's surface. M. DE MAIRAN, a member of the Royal Academy of Paris, in the beginning of the last century, has left us a history of the aurora borealis, from the first records of it up to the year 1732. From this, it appears that sixty-six observations had been made, or rather recorded, betwixt the years 500 and 1716. Since 1716, there has scarcely been a year without a number of these appearances. He records one hundred and sixty-three, which happened between 1716 and 1732. In 1728, there were thirty; in 1724, only two. Dr. THOMSON, in the 4th Vol. of the Annals of Philosophy, page 427, has given an article on the aurora borealis. In this, we find a table of the heights of several auroræ, as estimated by the observers of the last century, most of which are taken from a work of BERGMAN, rarely to be met with I believe in this country. Their heights are very discordant, no doubt owing chiefly to the want of correct data for the calculation. They seem mostly to have estimated the heights as being some aliquot part of the earth's radius, as t, t, t, t, or r of the same; that is, from one thousand miles to three hundred, and under. Notwithstanding this, the brilliant auroræ that occur in these times, have just the same appearances as those which were observed a century ago; and the description which Dr. HALLEY gave of the one in 1716, would equally apply to any grand display we have had since, either in this country, or any part of Europe. There is not then any reason, from the optical appearances, to conclude that the aurora are materially variable in their heights at different times and places. Though the Astronomers and Mathematicians of the last century failed in ascertaining the exact height of the aurora, they had abundant proof it |