The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-07-27
Philosophy Of the Aurora BoreaIis.

4 point near the zenith and radlatlBg Ia
right lines to within about 20 degrees OF
the horizon on all sides, many persons
spontaneously described it as resembling
the frame of an enormous umbrella sus.
pended by the ferrule in the zenith and
fully expanded. Concentric waves Of
light, frequently of a pink hue, played
between this apparently fixed framework
Some IL years since the same peculiar
manifestations occurred while the writer
was visiting this place. My first essay on
the aurora was published thenin the New
York Observer. | demonstrated the fact
THAT was not then recognized,or, if recog.
nized, not, in this relation, previously
announced,) that a right line drawn
through the spot near our zenith at that
hour would ntersect the sun and, in the
opposite direction, focus of his rays that
produce waves of light, heat, and conse-
quent electrical disturbance, abundantly
sufficient to account for all the phenomens
referred to and its usual appearance with.
in the Arctic circle. In proportion az
the sun is greater in diameter than the
earth, his rays must necessarily escape on
all sides of the earth in right and virtually
parallel lines but the 45 miles Of atmos-
phere, we know, refract all these so that
they necessarily converge rapidly to
focus after escaping the earth the per-
lection of this focus is exhibited to the
minds eye of any one who is familiar
with the popularity of a rejecting teles-
cope. In that case, you necessarily have
focus formed by circular mirror or
disc, the centre Of which is removed
consequently, the planet is perfectly ex-
hibitcd by the rays therefrom which es-
cape around the other mirror upon which
it shines directly. In the case before lis
every one is familiar with the fact that in
proportion to the rcfracting power Of our
atmosphere the sun is seen below the hori.
zon and an invisible globule of mercury
in "a china bowl is seen Oh the opposite Ia
perfectly Opaque china bowD if it is sub
sequently filed with water. The only
objection that has been made during IL
years to my theory was by highly edu-
Gated man, who doubted the value Of
lens when the centre il opaque, but he
was satisfied with the above illustration.
The reason why this focus does not pro-
duce ,imular phenomena in our zenith
every night is the same for the occasional
mirage and the unusual appearance whel
the sailors says, " She looms long VIZ.
only at long intervals corresponding at
mosphcre, with high refracting power
causes ''the focus to approach our zenith,
at other times these phenomena must ne
ceSsarily be confined to the region Of the
Arctic circle, being powerfully detected
thither from its normal position in our
zenith in proportion as the focus recede.
from our earth to its remote but normal
distance. The force of this focus cal.
, hardly be grasped by the human mind
except by comparing the probable effect
of lens of 80 miles diameter with the
toy " "sunglass with which a cigar ia
frequently ignited. Supposing 1000 de.
grees of heat thus produced by u lens
with one inch radius, what will be the
heat with radius of45 miles, or the depth
of the ;erial ocean under which we live d:
Again, suppose that one-hundredth parl
of one of these degrees of heat can De
easily registered by an electrical ther.
mometer, what must be the electrical dis
turbance when the heat thus multiplied
approaches the limits of our atmosphere
, drawing thither by induction the positv,
electricity from all our hemisphere, ant
consequently rcpelling that of an opposit,
character-thus forming corresponding
. focus at the limits Of our atmosphere al
ways, in this zenith.
1t can he easily demonstrated that :
gold leaf electrometer is sensitive 10 tn,
/ electricity on glass tube, when at thu
. distance of 3 or 1 feet, through power
: fully resisting medium (air), although tn,
, diameter of tube be less than half an incl
, and merely drawn through silk -handker
chief. What may We expect when tn,
I enormous electrode Of the suns focus re
, cedes towards the zenith? What mus
r be the recurrent wave? The earth i
: an immense magnet" made so by the cur
; rent Of electricity that follows the hea
! of the sun on its surface from east to west
The Arctic regions are usually tn,
South Pole of this magnet, and conse
quently they defect the focus from OH
{ zenith in proportion as the focus of tht
suns rays recede from our earth--there
, fore, the aurora must usually occur in TIA,
vicinity of the North Pole of the earth
SIGMA.
PORT PENN, DEL, April 18th, 1859
E AS the North Poles OF all needles are attrac
4 AOutl a IA /
l must be its South Pole ifcalled a magnet bu
n supposing the current OF electricity that clrcu
lateS with the sun from east to west to be tn
{ directing power of the magnetic needle as |
I, flows under the needle, the north pole woult
h verse ifthe current passed over it, as ii mus
, pass over the earth to constitute IL mag Q
virtually" Again, II the focus of the sun i
would approach our zenith with its enormou
: power multiplied by proportion In relation
|. to the squares OF the distance.
: 'BAH,-Ayoid the place it is no misuo
=, mer. The experience of thousands ha
/ proved il to he
: \ Bar to Responsibility;
?, A Bar to Honor
, A Bar to Happiness;
! \ Bar to Domestic Felicity
, A Bar to Heaven
-, Every day proves it to be
: The road to Degradation
' The road TO Vice
=. The road to Gamblers He'll,
The road to Brothel
: The road to Poverty
The road to Wretchedness
1 The road 10 Want
The road to Robbery
The road to Murder;
u The road to Prison;
: The road To the GallOws
4 The road TO the Dmnkard's Grave
The road to Hell
A Young man, before You enter the bar
room, stop Ponder the paths of YOU
I teet,--ere it be forever too late
WM | MARRIED HER.-"Where di,