Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-05-17
The G-eat Auroral Display.

our northern heavens in the early part n!
April seems to have been the most wide
spread ami complete phenomena of this
kind witnessed in the middle latituces for
years. Our dispatches show over how
large part of the county the magnetic
storms which giv- rise 10 the auroral dis
play ragged with intensity, as evidenced by
the disturbance of magnetic needles and
by the effect on telegraph wires and Gu
bies. As the annual period of maximum
auroral frequency begins in April the
recent display IS not untimely, but its ex-
tension southward is most notable.
Since 1919, when Gen. Sabine demon
strated incontestably that there is au
intimate connection between the causes OF
! auroras and those of terrestrial magne
tism," there has been little rom to doubt
that the causes of both these phenomena
lie beyond our own planet. The same
investigator has also atundantly shown,
as the result OF la5orious and heightened
observation, that both the occasional dis
| turbance in the magnetic state of the earth
| and conspicuous auroraS are coincident
with the mysterious outbursts Of solar
spots. On the lst of DeceT her. 1859,
while two English astronomers were indie
pendeDtly examining and measuring the
spots on the sun, bright outburst on the
/ fiery orb was noticed-the whole time of
the observatioI not exceeding five minutes.
But subsequently, they found that slmul-
taneously with this solar eruption the mag-
netic needles at Kew observatory had been
strongly 1erked; The magnetic currents
passing through our atmosphere at that
moment set up such strong electric currents
in the telegraph wires of the country that
the operators at Washington and Philadei-
phia received sharp shocks. In Norway
some telegraph machinery was set on fire,
aud 1t was reported that magnetic storr;s
synchronously prevailed In the West
Indies, South America, and Australia
These ana other condolences in the dates
of remark ahie auroral displays in the
northern and southern hemespheres, are
50 marked that they justify the CONCLUSION
of eminent physicists, tina. great exhlbl-
ton OF auroral light at one OF the earth's
magnetic poles generally occurs at the
same time at the opposite pcle. We may
therefore expect to hear that such an ex-
hIbition or magnetic storm, has recently
been observed at widely remote points ON
the globe.
The meteorological sequences of surorai
DISPLAYS, though long subj ct OF scien-
Iific inquiry, are but ebscurely, if at all,
determined. But if the magnetic storm
is due to cosmlcal causes, especially to
variations of solar activity, it seems highly
probable that there is a connection between
the aurora and the weather over large geo
graphical areas. The aurora may thus
marx great changes In the amount of
heat TIE SUB radlates on the earth
IL is known that a connection between
these phenomena has been pretty well es
tablished by the Italian astronomer Secchl
and the French meteorologist, Marie Divy.
As the result of investigations OF the rela
ticns of auroras to the prediction Of wea-
Iher, NJ. Davy, IN 1866, announced as the
rule that general disturbance of The tele-
graphic lines, due to widespread auroras,
indicate general movements of the atmos
phere in high latitudes and over the Allan
uc."
In the tropics, where the electrical in
IensIty of the atmosphere is frequently
relieved by violent thunder storms, mag
lulCusil1 10 lOO "
self in auroral displays. 1t would seem
probable from this fact that prior 10 and
during an auroral display IN our latitudes
there Is prepoaderance OF polar winds.
as VI Davy estimates Prot. EIlund OF
StockhJlm also reaches the CONCLUSION that
the aurora ia n est frequent ''where thunder
storms are least frequent" All that can,
however, be inferred from these data Is
that the aurora may indicate temporary
absense of the warm, vapor-laden. atmos-
pberic currents, and consequently post
ponement of the period of thunder S .orms.
While, therefore, the recent aurora and
magnetic storm were associated with O
cold spell of weather from the far north.
we need not apprehend continuance oil
such low temperature. But the whole
subject OF the meteorological significance
of these occult Phenomena demands fuller
investigation before reliable, practical, ds-
ductlons can be drawn.