, 1869-10-31
THE SECRET OF rI5;a AURORA
BDEEALlS.

TBE SECRET OF rI57 AURORA
BOEEALlS:
lkercnt Discoveries RKp!4sIned- |
cN- LONDON Spectator haa for sos,c months 4as-
CIR. ronhlp1ng inl fc.>n,1tc 1nso1css>oa wvh
ppcaas ;nicreet. The LIT s3t the Eofn Nfcy. poH
soG .r.ceat dreoves7es Of tGpottancc, :e:;snH io
rxrlatn the troe nature OF the Northern Lights:
ss 8, a.a ;s.snss ~ nass sca. tf1s ss e.: ssnss
rola inc n2Ec arch, With It's pointed strcsEers |
shtfttrg tAeptlv hut swiftly o-ross the herrns, !
Inisans ny stsTnaa = a. @ ,fon;s Ma:ninatet =
tpsrare, and rendered surprisingly oeautltEl ~
1he hr,isnc1 Of liz culorr, md cswais had el.esce
usny terles u iabo.tous researches had reycalc5
the laws which assoc,ssc this beautiful nrnar.i,1
VICE eat,6. as.i 20. tndlstac.is M coaueces % wiz,
the hnhsG1ss Ct the eOier sSAfeul it.clG Bet
recently 3 discovery has beea raahe which Il e:en
.rwartieh III. .aiors u pn1sicsts-a discovery ~
onee tnssEu tie an! pern!eytog. revealing bond !
q ns'on nts = ecu ~" aurora ami phenomenon
nMsftn .e01Ght - he quite ,Islrfeut character,
Int !eav'Ee D. f.'' 70 learn wha, the e1ac nature
rf'hat f'onu Of ut.:o1 traJ be- Let us consdsr
pla.s aLd their tstioa 10 the cArtn's economy.
we mad rcc5st'n rrrcnfly to po:nt u1t that
psv>rut's followed ~ intense magnetic acton, The
Whole electric ssstc ef the earth qIserlpS, ~ 10
speak. ula.E ihe :. 3nenFe 81 the s":as sorcPs
efiuceai l.. the tl,+tusnnace. Ana &c mentioned
thr, n1cnc the r'gns Of trs magnetic action br1lf
liant slkptsys nf the nitr9FAf atrar1efs had been
1oW,us sve y soa1 III 'tasbare. iii. c,rcnma:asee
1eafhcs III the t51Ir character Uf the anrOrA as
artl1neE as ans which astronomer an'l rhs -c!.ts
had tattcntIy trech tathefng together 'uT.Dx the
| pat hsIf century. We learn At once that rels-
uou knt,ssts heteHrn the aurpra+ terrestrial mag
iiet'.n. nna The tettra! l1m'uary q cur schsms
l tase Il ar1,.d cunuEn IL ifiicute the pgn1tcauce
hnd ,nrortsrc.' If th. aurora Our earth, ne tuny
,rrutrr,. ~ttcn rc,,.t- Iatr nctlsity the pie,
| nuu'epA tcrln atr~tic. Over the ~hhIe rcAltn
sne n i,n Whsn #" ns orr Sats ssies rs s
i i!'unnafe'i ay the rnrtc strea!ters. We .EnT I've
sure TINT lho+e of Venus and q Mars. "f Jirtrr
gstlts 81 trh1h: at Stpfu!t, aF1. 1T up With ".
icsBf djsrlays. mn otee It has bern ehown that
~ros" urr n1ir"1ss to s3'ar artloo, r~ recognise
tho t0.InrHl cnBrntsr Gf the lsrsHx, Rt,l th4t III
tetAe. THE irFt+Asial tuns1leiIsr *hrh It de-
tntd* II II lsi't If ntfrly between cur earth ns,l
| nltut " hl.c uerr thus Taught the I'm" eIc-
pltcbtrc Of The nEror', We we're H 1t IN 'lGut ~
IA tke aas III ~lush tl. sctas acts"n as'u.rs the
c!e,i1!c Ettnur,r. IN tue urDer regions of uHrr'r.
VI cer 1T not tven tel! at hat elevation the lE'tt
u;ls .usgru':+"I atere or Earth The ,nust emf
r...i' ir ri t.artits wher.. tnt n,aa'c .fr.autrs
| reilly wa,e ~iltn "e rsg thrtn iTt-t d'-tiurt'r.
H. tsrh m IT, r.. 's" srors ~. ~ a. ",s" =. to IT.
| +, tnt' IN u fatpre ihr h+lrtt Of n rHin'nw. Sir
,rhh ilelsthr1 c"'H!rrrf nat trrtsrly tltf sA,in
laws ut neh-:'f+Tehl might Il. spreti ~ the ALL
rulM III IL ahy hlS.H ra,4td hEit a'MFe the cntth.
| "t'he point, hraeser. MAS wtH determined.
Tht putsfnt lights n,s nn.luut.lIt to fe n4cfastc
tn t,.slr,r n"11nt taxing piac" at tsry eoraIlerH
l.r height. wftrr tlr Aif = ver' rare lhte~l u
l"eatnr. !irrriusr: Question whether anything
tuunl tH saf1."i ~ ":Als7lhH ih- nrt'f:sl llyht,
NJ IL ihc euI .t,fun nf ttlHt t,tfIctaf tir u ulr
atmosphere III nh~h Inc electric nrtlnn takcs
arertrnscorlr rnai.s.t, Tint s'ranan ar., row
crlnl iNtrie NJ rsaAhh nnicH llas resHi'ct ~
itnhy ual,sAr,. t'u tArts, wn. ncerd,nRIt implied
IN tIt lrht ut II hrllIt4n R.rra. m" r"tlf m!
tath.f sHtttt.re. lr.tenl n n ta'nlh'<.rnlofe,l
alteak IT iuh'. ,trh ~ Nrnli hn.s nrt~are.i 4
rytiiI to lti,alln,-hr ir r1'sntr a,ih,. n k'nHr
.lrrM teI't"i Haht npssi'tL Flti. h,!Ir4r'i
Ls w. ZAP J. ""s ~, :. IT, ,s, r.' y y ,9 me
III ,nAu tInre. ,ntt mis- was nut III" ril nu.taarr
"hh hs'.'nI"l '"rt.. i!,1art, !!,'. ~ !,,''asr
y h,vu n,sni,h'r., u "ur rts.r9s: n ~ -. hr'
IHrt t'he Nh"i 'h ttsfs Hsr H'ttIhAtr1 wlti. f'It
/. lrGht me ~h'd 1s'" '*.'tI,i'*l ~" l""ifl,,t
tuis.l IL hnss4fr. 14i th~rs u ~. &hn~ rnli.rh
). NtH ~ rrr''IHn Inn hrpht !'tr whtfr thts oElt
nsat a'nI a,rl Av.lt Y Ahv'fH'l. ~ tNth Fn.''
+ + unl trvu't, 4, MF F"n'n,.r, ainats NV III
u nay I IL rt IIir 4.ItIrAr~II'r VI l4ltiiI4t3 lii
!, snftTh aTrp lt* hriIl'nhr,,
:! "!n. pnw u u1G.t trntpFtatdr dsrhrrtt h Al
= itr,un tine nf ,hr aurnta! spectrum exists 1u tb
!, | hprrlfEtM .t a.ulh,t rtj.st "hld, hs'l l,ses
T ~ e. 'lir ai-sos"Ts 10 .'es,ia ine zs'acai IN
- Ehs Lttt. At td,l-si Il fHtt rtal 10 utffol1Mrr.
) Gracua;l, n. rry has been io.m-sl rr.rsc'nE i
~ el,fh Hcu ~ lluhss1ll anti SIT 1uhu Hr5scAst
= MAJ heh! That this appearances u due TO tho Itch
It t:irs ,faEsi,'os srold tic saa within sae oltt
- rhls theory h.d never txen tested hy sp+e
u; frpsroplc nnalt-i+ Indeed, tbs xodtacal hgh
~ ~ ahnea 70 family that II HMt harfflT n"pe that It
~ ~. ct1unl ctrd tc rrneretl sls!nle Hut i wn
- ever ve1r thus staI,xed It's spectrum woula b
= ,hat which tic thtnrJ fsqu:rcti-thht ID, SrE
~ 'snt serroucttcn Of 'ne common H9tas .pscstaa
the trtctrura OF Tie zodiacal light has been o:
= ttstt, anl !ts'ea' nt srbg. q ea1 o:en sxpee
AZ srbne line. That Ilne Il tue ka!n+ that We See
The spectrum, Il The aurota: IN other rotts II
tfearef> arr due 10 the sane eott Of electric Ill
ta .a cntfge lsklnF plaet IN the satac netioGl-
~ ~ "M!tho1; pse:eldnx TO iultaer interpret th
~ t,nrtiirE result, ~e fBay indlcate tue pton.tc
~ ~ rnot4s OF e1rlalt,pG q nn1oer Of p1enomer
ns ns witch have long seemed Mu.t perplex1nE Hae
t,e paeas aeis ns III ss CELESTIAL % h:
ae haye resource asaHahIs TO remove MAJ
M t,'uiruits. Ae'sononeEs Mtrs askinE 10
r, Ct The lLcantlssc+nt ea3or q cs1bon-that u,
Ss tI*rnun' Indicative e The mot Intense nes
;sa ,ntivm - ~ss M ef III nstuIe isy Wrfe faI1s
" ~ fom the ann than the rar,n H. The action Of Il
san in exe!tlng electrical dtssasIges E m Tcnid i,,
ea ntsppu cfa Arsip, it has neen long recogniE
~ that the cer.l.ar.tk.s Of comets tails seem OF
W. yxrEe1t:c due 10 electrical nr.lop. but ass1p
=, orneIa ere unwilling 10 adcp: such theory vii
~ out fp1ue positive evidence IL IT. favor. We NJ
"a. ~ @Ms's suen M ~ S,iS a s.e o%s - t.s tHs., -
Ia s.s ts. teut H%.,st ~, ~ .+s.mn ~. -
@tss ~ which Euler rut iorth, rore than tatt cent?
~ aRe, that comets tails hare eonetn:ug 10 co
- mon With The aufora ach Eodtseal light. 1t Fc1
-; indeed he ssranEe IT 1hree Of the most mJsterlt
ssnnSS ! rhcrcneb8 with which men OF science ase
n qraittcd facu1d md rhctr explanation s:mcl
~ LeoEsly.'
Of D.uunu-.au~ ~ 1.ou
II rs"s
.0n | NunoU2ots stPt. Aas Ateo*