Hour.
A.M. 9.
Temp.
- 4 5
December 22nd, 1820.
WWin. d.Light. Clear, A few cirro-strati near the southern hor.
Noon -4 3 do. do. do. .
2h.30m. - 4 1 do; Mod. do.
P.M. 9, - 4 3 do. do. - do. A bur round the moon and candle.
Midnt,
-4 3 do. Light.
2J
Calm. Hazy. Halo round the moon distant 20°.
At 4h. 30m. p.m., dark and rather cloudy. A faint mass of the Aurora in
the E.S.E. about 20° high.
At 9h. p.m., the sky being of a pretty deep-blue colour, except in the S.E.,
where there was a mass of white clouds near the horizon, the Aurora appeared
in form of an arch of yellowish-grey light, about 70° broad in the centre,
where it reached from the zenith to within 29® of the southern horizon. Its
limbs were spirally twisted and tapered, touching the horizon inthe S.E.b.S.
and N.W.b. W. The light of this arch was arranged in longitudinal bands,
having different densities, and varying in length from 20° to 80°. These long
portions of light occasionally receded laterally from each other, and then formed
a series of arches or parts of arches ; the upper ones including those beneath
.them. Whilst the arches were thus separated, some of them exhibited a waving
lateral motion, the others remaining stationary, apd, [sometimes .one end of
an arch moving more than the other, it was. carried obliquely across the
general line of direction of the parts of the large arch. The arches approached
each other by an irregular, slow, lateral motion, occurring simultaneously in
the different arcs, and again formed a continuous body of light, varying in
density in different parts.
At 11 h., a beam of light rose from the southern horizon to the height of 45°,
where it, terminated, that end then bearing N.W.b.N. It was about 10°
broad, and gradually attenuated from its centre outwards.
At llh. 30m., there was a long luminous bank in the south nearly of equal
dimensions throughout. Its centre was slightly elevated, and about 40° high.
Its extremities faded imperceptibly away in the S.S.E. and western parts of
the sky. It was about 6° broad, and emitted a greenish-yellow light. The
sky near its extremities was dark, and completely hid the stars. Five or six
degrees below this nearly horizontal mass, a smaller but similar one appeared
for a short time. Neither continued above two or three minutes, and they
exhibited no quick motions, but merely brightened a little, undergoing at the
same time a slight dilatation. They appeared, however, and disappeared at
intervals until 2Jh. (a.m. 23,) when a haziness overspread the sky.
Hour. December 23d, 1820. 9 -T.3em6p.WW.Nind.W. . Moderate. Hazy.
10 lS37 do. do. , do.
Noon j'^.36,'’ do. do. Clearer, bright sun.
3 -4 0 W. do. Clear, thick mist over the rapid.
9 -41 do. do. Hazy in the horizon, clear in the
Midnt. —45 do., do.
zenith, rapid rather quiet.
Clear.
At 11 p.m., a faint arch of pale greenish light, about 10° broad, rose to the
height of 30°, one of its limbs, bearing S.E.b.S., sprung from a collection of
whitish clouds, (cirri,) situated about 10° above the horizon. The other,
bearing W.b.N., faded away imperceptibly in a dark part of the sky, where
there were neither clouds nor stars visible.
The moon was surrounded by a bur, and did not give much light. At 12,
the arch was still visible, but several strata of pretty dense white clouds now
occupied the southern part of the sky to the height of 20°, and the extremities
of the arch, which were broader and fainter than before, bore S.b.E. and
W.N.W. In the middle of the arch there were several gentle elevations and
depressions; but although the light occasionally brightened up in some spots,
there were no quick motions amongst its parts. .
The state of the atmosphere continued), as before, pretty clear in the zenith,
but the bur round the moon, of a faint grey colour,, with a slight tinge of orange
on its outer edge, remained. A similar bur was formed round a candle, its
diameter enlarging rapidly as the observer receded from it.
December 24th, 1820.
A.M. Hour. 9 -4Te3mp. Wind, N.W. Light. Clear. Bur round the moon. Thin
Noon -3 7 S.W.b.S. do. Hazy.
mist from the rapid.
Sun seen obscurely. Rapid
P.M. 9 -4 0 W. Moderate zenith.
very great.
Clear, horizon hazy.
Midnt. -39.8 do. do. do. 4 K