The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-06-18
The Anrorn IlnrcnIIs.


The Polar light is a light which
Is frequently seen near the horizon,
bearing some resemblance TO the
morning twilight, whence 1t has ro.
ccived tho namo of Aurora. In the
northern hemisphere it is usually
termed Aurora Boroalis,' because
il is chiefly seen IN the north. A
similar phenomenon IL also seen in
tho southern hemisphere, whore it
is called Aurora Australis." Each
OF them may, with greater proprie.
ty, be called "Aurvra Polaris," or
Polar Light. They exhibit an end
less variety Of appearance. In the
United States an aurora is uniform.
" preceded by hazy or s!aty ap-
pearancc of the sky, particularly IN
the neighborhoOd Of tho northern
horizon. When the auroral display
commences, this hazy porticn Of the
sky assumes the !orm Of dark
bank or segment Of circle in the
north, rising ordinarily to the height
of from FIVE to ten degrees. This
dark segment is not a cloud, for the
stars arc seen through il as thro'
smoky aimospero, with little dim.
mutton of brllliancy. This dark
bank is simply d dense haze, and it
appears darker from the contrast
with the luminous arc which rests
upon il. In high northern latitudes
when the aurora covers the entire
heavens, the whole sky seems filled
with q dense haze; and still higher
attitudes, where the aurora ~ some
tunes seen IN the south, this dark
segment Is observed resting on the
southern horizon and bordored by
the auroral light.
Auroras arc sometimes observed
simultaneously over large portions
of the globe, Theaurora Of August
2s, 1859, was seen throughout more
than 14O degrees of longitude, from
Eastern Europe to California and
from Jamaica on tho south to air
unknown distance in British Amer
lea on tho north. The aurora OF
September 2, 1859, was seen at the
Sandwich ISLANDS; il was seen Ihro'
ought the whole of North America
and Europe; and tho disturbance
OF the magnetic needle indicated its
presence throughout all northern
Asia, although the sky was over
cast so that at many places 1t could
not DO seen. An aurora was seen
at the same time in South Americi
and New Holland, Tho auroras o
September %, 1871, and November
II, I84S, were almost equally cx
/,
tensive.
, The height OF large number o
auroras has been computed, and tn,
f average result for the upper linn
r Of the streamefs is $50 miles. From
t Il multitude of observations II !
concluded that the aurora seldom
o appears at an elevation less tina
about forty-five miles above III
7 earth's surface, and that it frequent
: ly extends upward to an elevation
d of 500 miles. Auroral arches hav
d ing weli.defned border are gen
orally Iess than one hundrc mile
2 in height.
# Auroras are very unoqually dii
G trlbuLed over the earth's surface
4 They occur most frequently in III
n higher latitudes, and are almost III
II known within the tropics. AT Hi
h vana, in latitude 20 degrees, but 81
!. auroras have been recorded with
Q, a hundred years, and south of Hi
- vana auroras arc still more unfr'
g ouent. AS wo travel nOrthwar
Y. from Cuba, ourOras increase III FRI
A. ouoncy and brllliancy; they Ri
n. higher ia the heavens, ard oiten'
" ascend tv the zenlth. Near tho pa
A. allel of 40 degrees we lind on an a.
ID erage only ten anroraS annually
10 Near the parallel of AZ degrees Il
Is average number is twenty ann
Of ally; near As degrees the numb
" ls 40; aud near the parallel OF
III degrees il amounts TO eighty ann
70 ally. Between this point and q
X; parallel of 62 degrees auroras, d
aI ring the winter are seen almost G
r. cry night. Thoy appear high IN I
r. heavens, ard as often TO the sou
le as the north, In rogiens turth
he north they are sCldom seen exec