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Excerpts from and Comments on the Wochenschrift für Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2)
Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312 www.elsevier.com/locate/asr
Excerpts from and Comments on the Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2) Louise Wilson
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Physikalisches Institut, Universita¨t Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Received 20 June 2006; received in revised form 7 July 2006; accepted 8 July 2006
Abstract Articles related to auroral and geomagnetic observations in August 1859–September 1859 from the publication ‘‘Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie and Geographie, Neue Folge’’ have been translated and assembled into one compilation. A brief summary of this publication is also given. 2006 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Carrington event; Aurora; Geomagnetic disturbances; The Wochenschrift
1. Introduction At the request of M.A. Shea, several articles and sections of articles related to the August and September 1859 auroral and geomagnetic events have been translated from the original German as published in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’. While proving to be useful for researchers studying the period of the ‘‘Carrington Event’’, reference to the publication itself was rather hazy. To make things a bit clearer for the modern (and English-speaking) reader, this is a short explanation of the reference text and a brief description and history of the publication itself. 2. The ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ The ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ first appeared in Leipzig, Germany, in 1847 as a weekly publication for the ‘‘entertainment of dilettantes and friends of astronomy, geography, and weather’’ (Unterhaltung fu¨r Dilettanten und Freunde der Astronomie, Geographie und Witterungskunde). The edi-
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E-mail address: [email protected] Compiler and Translator.
tor was G.A. Jahn and the publisher Robert Friese (Leipzig). In 1858 a new series (‘‘neue Folge’’) was initiated with a more sophisticated title, ‘‘Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie’’, i.e. a weekly magazine for astronomy, meteorology, and geography. The new publishing house was H.W. Schmidt in Halle (an der Saale, i.e. on the river Saale), Germany. Fortunately, the ETH Zurich has the entire collection, 1847–1891, of the ‘‘Wochen-schrift’’ in its archives, and arrangements were made to borrow the volumes that describe the aurora and geomagnetic activity associated with the Carrington Event in 1859. The editor of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ in 1859 was Eduard Heis, a German astronomer born in Cologne, Germany, in 1806. In 1852, on the request of Alexander von Humboldt, Heis was appointed by King Frederick William IV to the chair of mathematics and astronomy at the Academy of Mu¨nster (now the University of Mu¨nster), a position that he held for twenty-five years. From 1857 to 1877 Heis was the editor of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’, and his name appears in bold, ‘‘Professor Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster’’, on the cover page of every weekly issue. Since the name appears without any initials, articles from this publication are
0273-1177/$30 2006 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.004
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
frequently referenced simply by Heis, Editor. Professor Heis has been described by his contemporaries as a devoted teacher, an exemplary husband and father, and a faithful Catholic. The bound ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ from 1859 is only 13 · 21 cm, about the size of a modern paperback book. The pages are slightly darkened with age. Browsing through the old and beautifully bound book, certain characteristics of the publication become evident. Each weekly issue is exactly four pages long. There is a neat fold still visible in the middle of each issue, certainly to reduce the size of the publication for mailing. The rather unorganized variety and lively mixture of subjects is remindful of a local newspaper. Some topics are continued throughout several issues. The index that was added at the beginning of the bound book is a helpful concession to the modern reader and researcher. On the last page of the bound volume of the year 1860 there is something like an advertizement saying the publication will be continued in 1861 and that the ‘‘gentlemen subscribers’’ are encouraged to place their subscription orders as soon as possible so as not to miss out on any weekly issues. The price of the subscription for 1861 was three Reichstaler, equivalent to two days’ wages of a mayor, or about a week’s wages for normal working people. The ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ was obviously not a publication that many people could afford. 3. Articles on the August and September 1859 events In reviewing the meticulous 19th century German texts, I had the help of Professor Erwin Flu¨ckiger of the University of Bern and a cosmic ray expert. At the suggestion of Dr. Shea we looked for reports on the 1859 storm in the 1860 edition of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’. There we found three important articles dated January 12, February 1, and August 22, 1860, which are quoted in their full length in the excerpts. A sighting in Africa is mentioned in the last paragraph of the article dated February 1, 1860, although the headline refers only to South America. There are about a dozen less substantial reports about the 1859 storm in the 1860 issues, e.g. telegraph disturbances in several cities in France, southern lights observed in Melbourne, and magnetic disturbances in Rome. 4. Other articles in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ The 1859 and 1860 volumes of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ abound in other subjects as well. There are tables with the Sun, Moon, and planet ephemeris, reports on fire balls, tables showing cloud cover and precipitation, description of a solar eclipse, reports on sun spots, earthquakes, and other subjects. There is one fascinating ‘‘last minute’’ report at the end of the October 24, 1860 issue: ‘‘There were no less than three new planets discovered in the month of September (1860). In Washington, Mr. Ferguson, who has already discovered the planets Euphrosyne and Virginia, discovered a new planet of
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the 11th magnitude, observed on the nights of September 15 and 16, 1860 . . .’’ 5. Summary The mixture of journalistic and scientific reporting in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ describes and analyzes events for the reader’s entertainment – in the best sense of the word – with varying degrees of objectivity, making it fascinating literature. At the same time it is truly a historically valuable scientific document. It is hoped that the items related to the ‘‘Carrington Event’’ period as extracted from the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ and given in the Appendices, will be useful to researchers in the future. Appendix A.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 38/Wednesday, September 21, 1859 Pages 297–300 and 302–303 Northern lights during the night of August 28–29 and on the evening of September 5 A large and magnificent northern light was observed during the night of August 28–29 in Germany, France, Belgium, England, and Italy; massive disturbances in the Earth’s magnetism were detected simultaneously in Greenwich and Rome, and in Lisbon and Petersburg. We have received the following reports about these phenomena: A civil servant from Bamberg, Mr. Ellner, wrote: ‘‘On August 28 of this year at 11 hours at night I observed the first traces of the northern light that splendidly opened up in the sky around midnight 12 hours 30 minutes. The northwest sky was partly cloudy at 11 hours, but soon around 11 hours 35 minutes the NW, N, and NE were completely clear. In the east strong sheet lightning after a temperature of +17,5 Reaumur average during the day (in the afternoon 2 hours the temperature was 22,7 R). At the outset there was a bright shimmer in the NW near the horizon that noticeably stood out against the bright, cloudless northwest sky. Around 11 hours 37 minutes the first rays glowed up from the horizon, and at the same time a similar phenomenon appeared in NE such that between NNW and NNE the dark blue sky with a few single stars was free of any foreign illumination. The rays emerged stronger and stronger from both parts of the sky and extended up to the North Star. The colors changed from light yellow to red and the surge of the ray bundles became stronger and more intensive around 12 hours, until on the 29th around 1 hour a broad band (about 1–2 widths of the full moon), bright at first and then changing over to red, connected the two seas of light in the NW and NE. At that moment the N and NNE areas of the sky turned red, and it illuminated the entire wide space from NW to NE in a sea of rays from dark red to light yellow. The stars of the Little
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Bear were partially recognizable through the red, and all the main start of the Big Bear. The horizontal cloud bank that stretched from NNW to ENE was dirty red and greenish blue in some places. By 2 hours 45 minutes there was nothing left of this lively and extremely interesting phenomenon except for a white-bluish illumination similar to the way the moonlight illuminates a fog bank. The flaming up and sinking of the ray bundles was so lively and quick that it was almost impossible to keep record of the time, and the expansion so great that it was hard to maintain an overview without the help of another person. During the onset the lights developed very slowly, but their disappearance occurred so quickly that the splendid activity that began at 2 hours 15 minutes had disappeared down to a minimum at 2 hours 30 minutes, followed by only 15 minutes of the slightly illuminated fog layer. This is the second northern light that has been observed since Maundy Thursday this year.’’ Mr. Lichtenberger from Neunkirchen reported: ‘‘The first time I saw the northern light – it was one hour after midnight – the phenomenon was in full display: a number of reddish ray bundles in almost vertical parallel position, their tops bordering on the so-called crown of the northern light, illuminating the night sky in a striking way from northeast to the northwest, the ray bundles alternating from long to short, light to dark, joining together to a reddish mass of light and splitting into new bands in other places – all this was a continuing magical scene. The phenomenon was most impressive in the northeast, and at 1:30 the outermost, rather clearly edged bands extended up from the horizon through the heads of Gemini to the 0 and g stars in Auriga, and in the outermost on the opposite side to the left to the North Star. In the northwest and west the horizon was covered with a dark cloud bank up to about 30 high through which a glow appeared as well as through a partly cloudless band on the horizon. At three o’clock the rays declined in the northeast, and the brightness of the north light became weaker with the arrival of dawn.’’ Mr. Kalinski wrote us from Prague that even after 2 in the morning the northern light was still very intensive with white rays. In the evening of the 28th at 1014 the magnets were in their usual positions, but they showed a much weaker horizontal intensity than usual on the 29th, 30th, and 31st (until the afternoon). From Stuttgart was reported that in the night of August 28–29 a bright northern light was observed. The ‘‘Olmu¨tzer Neue Zeit’’ reports: The appearance was very similar to that of a northern light, and the color of the long tapered light rays that were much more intensive than the color of redden air mass at the horizon. It began at 2 hours at night, lost on intensity after a quarter of an hour, regained intensity thereafter, was at its most intensive state at 212 hours, and disappeared almost completely after 3 hours. Heavy sheet lightning accompanied it. Around 1 hour 32 minutes there were oscillations on the magnet needles of the Boussolen accord-
ing to news from the local telegraph office as well as considerable deflections of 30–40, and on the apparatus there were constantly measurable currents that lasted 4–6 minutes. The apparatus were shut off and turned on again at 5 hours 25 minutes. The effect of the constant currents continued. At 6 hours 8 minutes all the apparatus began to operate. The ensuing loud clatter of the apparatus was assumed to be caused by the frequent interruption of the constant current beforehand. The same was observed on the apparatus in Vienna (which is remarkable due to the large number of connections in all directions), then in Oderberg, Pardubitz, Krakau and in the Prussian Telegraph Offices. There is a report from Weserlingen (Province Sachsen) that white, yellow, red, and black rays shot up from the horizon almost to the zenith. Pastor Sulzer from Ittendorf on Lake Constance: ‘‘In my last weather report from the month of August I expressed the supposition that the red shimmer that I saw in the northern sky on the 29th early in the morning at 3–14 4 hour was the effect of the northern light; what convinces me were the single white ray bundles that extended toward the zenith. But because the dawn light was so strong I was not quite sure, even more so because it could have been due to the contrast between the color of the sky and the dark roofs of several houses that hid the northern horizon from my view. In the meantime we have received confirmation from everywhere that what I unfortunately saw so late was really a northern light. Especially unusual was the disturbance in the telegraph lines, which was undoubtedly due to the phenomena. Even yesterday, September 2, it was still not possible to telegraph from Meersburg and Konstanz, which I heard from a gentlemen who had a telegraph to send to Berlin. According to the telegrapher, the continuous fluctuations of the magnet needle that were still occurring yesterday are very unusual. Was the ‘‘Ho¨henrauch’’* visible on the 23rd and 24th connected with this phenomenon? Or with the unusually large and numerous sunspots?’’ On the morning of the 29th in Bonn, Prof. von Riese noticed that the magnet needle in the magnetic observatory fluctuated nearly 2 0 between 8–812 o’clock. The director of the observatory in Brussels, Mr. Quetelet, sent the following news by telegram to the Paris Observatory: ‘‘Northern lights from midnight until 1 hour 30 minutes in the morning; interrupted currents in all telegraph wires. The entire morning the underwater cable from Ostende to Dover was pervaded with the aura; the telegraph service between Brussels and London was almost completely hindered.’’ * Ho ¨ henrauch: Expression for great layers of smoke that were caused by the burning of moorlands. The moor was loosely plowed, the clods allowed to dry for a few days, and then burned. The smoke often spread over entire Germany in the 18th century, causing unpleasant odor and general irritation for the inhabitants.
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
The chief engineer of the electric telegraphs reported to Mr. Quetelet that while the northern light was at its greatest, the attendants at the telegraph stations in Mons, Gent, Ostende, and Antwerp were wakened by the ringing of the bells. In Paris, London, and Berlin the telegraphs were working, but broke down completely until 1 hour 30 minutes. (end of page 300) excerpt from Pages 302–303 The time at the end of August and beginning of September is unusual for northern lights, at least in our region. In the current century northern lights were observed: August 28, 1827, 29, 30, 31, 37, 38, 39, 40, 46, 48. August 29, 1805, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 37, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50. September 5, 1822, 30, 33, 37, 38, 47, 48, 50.
Appendix B.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 43/Wednesday, October 26, 1859 Pages 340–343 The northern lights and the associated magnetic disturbances from the end of August until mid-October The northern lights of August 28th–29th and September 5th have already been mentioned in issue number 38 of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’; since then they have appeared again with unusual frequency on September 24th and 25th and on October 1st and 12th. 1. Further news about the northern lights of August 28th–29th and of September 5th Superintendent Klopsch writes from Naugard: ‘‘The northern light seen in the morning hours of August 29th was observed here as well in all its splendor. I observed the northern light of September 5th – so far as the heavily clouded sky allowed. Due to the cloudiness it was difficult to determine exactly when it began – I assume that it began at approximately 7 hours 30 minutes (m. Naug. Zeit). At 8 hours the northern sky opened up somewhat and was flooded with a pale purple glow under which bright white light arcs without rays emerged, even though greatly covered by the mass of clouds. In varying intensity the redness in N and NE remained until 8 hours 20 minutes. At 8 hours 35 minutes it disappeared completely and left behind a general brightness. At 8 hours 50 minutes it appeared quickly again, less bright, in the region of the Capella. After 9 hours this red disappeared as well, and until 10 hours all that was visible was bright light in the space between the clouds.’’ The director of the observatory in Rome, H. Secchi, reported that on the night of August 28th–29th the sky over Rome was covered with red stripes, which is very seldom there; bright ray bundles ascended up from the hori-
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zon. Every 10 to 12 minutes the declination needle deviated from its normal position. This disturbance lasted long into the morning of the 29th. Mr. Le Verrier of the Paris Observatory observed magnetic disturbances: ‘‘The first anomaly in the movement of the needle was noticed on August 26th from 9–12 o’clock in the morning. In this short time the declinations needle fluctuated 22 0 2000 . During the magnetic storm on August 29th, it was primarily the declination needle that was deflected, whereas on September 1st after two quiet days, the Bifilar, which registers the horizontal intensity, showed considerable disturbance. The magnetic storm on September 1st was much stronger than that on August 29th, even though no northern light was seen on that day. Physicists usually assume that northern lights manifest their influence on the magnet needle by a reduction in intensity, but the observations of the imperial observatories showed exactly the opposite. The curves of the deviations recorded in photographs at the Paris observatory** correspond perfectly with those from the Greenwich observatory, so exactly as if the one had copied from the other.’’ From Leizpig is reported: ‘‘The northern light observed on August 28th and 29th had such an influence on all the Saxon telegraph stations that the relays were periodically affected by strong electrical ground current and the magnetic needles in the vertical Galvanoscopes oscillated from right to left. In the experiments that were made by connecting a Declinationsboussole (declination compass) to a line, an alternating east and west deviation of the needle was observed that became stronger the closer the connected wire approached the magnetic meridian. Telegraphy was greatly disrupted and the disturbance caused by the northern light did not cease until August 29th at 10 o’clock in the morning. The telegraph office in Bern reported: The electrical phenomenon that made telegraphic correspondence totally impossible in various telegraph offices here and in other places in the night of August 28th to 29th have reoccurred since then, the strongest occurring on September 1st. That time, instead of short currents, there were constant currents that continued without interruption from 6 to 9, as well as at midday from 12 to 2 34 hours. It was strange that these currents kept changing the direction of the needle, e.g. sometimes to the west, slowly back to north again, toward east and back again to the previous direction. These movements from one side to the other occurred in almost regular minute intervals. It seemed that the currents changed directions periodically.
** During my visit at the Greenwich observatory in 1851 I was happy to see how the meteorological and magnetic observatory photographically recorded from minute to minute the changing thermometer, psychrometer and barometer readings, the fluctuations of the declination and inclination needles etc. The recording of the fluctuations of the declination needle e.g. was carried out as follows: In a dark room where the apparatus was installed, concentrated light from a camphin lamp fell on a small metal mirror connected to the declination needle . . .
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One also found that magnetic needles connected to separate lines were not deflected in the same direction at the same time, to the extent that one needle connected to a line coming from north pointed to the opposite direction compared to a needle connected to a line going south. Because these unusual electrical currents were of such intensity, the measurement of their resistance would have been interesting. These phenomena, which can probably be associated with the last northern light, were observed in all telegraph offices in France and Sardinia according to our information. Appendix C.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.A. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 48./Wednesday, November 30, 1859 Pages 382–384 News from correspondents in Melbourne, Australia concerning southern lights continued from page 376 1st Southern light on August 29 In the 10 days from August 19–28 the declination reached its maximum of the daily mean on the 22nd, and a minimum followed on the 24th. The horizontal intensity of the earth’s magnetism reached its minimum on the 19th, namely 0,0013 below the mean 2,36089, and increased tremendously from that day on until it reached its maximum on the 26th, namely 0,0009 above the mean. The magnetic inclination showed similar movements. On the evening of August 28th very great disturbances occurred in all three elements, all of which declined in the early morning of the 29th. At 4 o’clock in the morning the horizontal intensity was 0,0020 below the mean of the 10 previous days and at 8 hours and 50 minutes in the morning increased so severely that the intensity from time to time and the inclination very frequently could not be observed because the scale in the field of the telescope was not great enough. The following table contains the means for declination and horizontal intensity: Time
August 29th
Declination
Horizontal intensity
7–8 o’clock 8–9 9–10 10–11 11–12 12–1 1–2 2–3 3–4 4–5 5–6
Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon
824 0 ,20 22,23 8,52 13,00 22,86 34,33 37,54 37,40 38,46 38,83 34,21
2,36264 2,33677 2,35072 2,34711 2,34983 2,35160 2,35539 2,35755 2,34353 2,35479 2,35412
These violent disturbances led to the prediction of polar lights; during the entire day the clouds were carefully observed for a trace of a southern light, which was finally noticed at 6 hours 10 minutes (after sundown) between southeast and south. From then on the brightness increased quickly. 6 hours 40 minutes Rose colored clouds in the SE, SW, and W 6 hours 50 minutes Splendid southern light. Red rays of considerable width toward SE, SW, and W to S, visible up to a height of 50–60 degrees. A very wide white ray bundle in the SW to S. 7 hours 12 minutes Reddish-white stripes at the level of the zodiac of 30 degrees height, obviously a connection of the zodiacal light with the southern light. 7 hours 15 minutes The southern light disappears. 7 hours 16 minutes White spots in SE, pale red. 7 hours 20 minutes Red in S and SW, disappearing and changing to white while the white in SSE changes to red. 7 hours 21 minutes High, wide and white clouds in the south, low banks of sharply contoured cumulus-stratus. 7 hours 23 minutes Sharply contoured bows of light in 10–12 height above the cloud bank mentioned above, reaching from SSE to WSW. Zodiac light visible. 7 hours 26 minutes White, wide brightness from W to S 7 hours 30 minutes Pale red in SE. Two rays, one in the zodiac, the other through the Southern Cross 7 hours 32 minutes Weak rays toward WSW 7 hours 34 minutes Pale red in ESE almost to the zenith 7 hours 35 minutes Pale light from W to N that changed to red at 7 hours 27 minutes and that extended to 40 to 50 degrees height at 7 hours 39 minutes. 7 hours 42 minutes Red rays appear; 7 hours 43 minutes white rays in SW to W 7 hours 45 minutes The white rays widen. 7 hours 48 minutes Bright spots in S and SW. The phenomenon lasted until 2 hours 15 minutes after midnight, where alternating rays shot up and red and white clouds appeared. Appendix D.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 49/Wednesday, December 7, 1859
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
Pages 385–389 and 391 Northern lights from August 28–29 and September 2, 1859 Reports of a more accurate nature have arrived from Havanna about the northern lights on August 28–29 and September 2, 1859. Mr. Poey noted that this phenomenon very rarely appears at such low latitudes (233 0 ). There are only four appearances that have been noted, namely on November 13, 1784, November 4, 1789, in the year 1833, and the fourth on November 17, 1848***. Including the last two observations from August 28 and September 2, there have been six observations of northern lights by the inhabitants of Cuba in the last 75 years. Mr. Poey reports: Northern light on August 28. At 09 hours and 5 minutes (13:21 Paris time) I noticed first of all a reddish shine that quickly rose over the horizon, exactly north***** and extended from northeast to northwest. Its height was approximately 23 and reached the North Star. The redness increased more and more until around 914, and from then on the northern light became weaker until it disappeared about 10. After that a weak light remained in the northern sky. About 1 the northern light reappeared and extended again to the North Star. It reached its greatest intensity between 4 and 414 ; the basis was carmine red, from which rays of various widths, some fire red, others whitish in color, reached to the zenith. At 4 hours 20 minutes the northern light extinguished completely. Northern light of September 1–2. This second northern light was much more splendid than the first, was larger and lasted longer; it was not seen before 1212 hours and it lasted until 5 hours in the morning. Between 1212 and 1234 it appeared first toward the east and then toward the west with white rays. From 1234–1 hours it appeared in the east in red light. At 1 hour one began to notice increasing brightness from the north that spread toward NNE and that made it possible to see the contours of the clouds (cumulus), the horizon of the ocean, and the harbor. In the same intensity that the shine became brighter it also took on a more blue color; it reached a height of up to 12. Whitish, reddish, and bluish rays shot out toward west. The intensity of the brightness increased more and more toward east, whereas toward west a red segment increased in brightness and expanse. At 114 hours rays rose above the entire expanse of the northern light. The brightness extinguished in ENE. E and thereafter W were completely red. At 2 hours the northern light reached the height of its splendor, i.e. the sky seemed to flare up in a blood-red color. Below one of the upper red segments one could see a wide space or a sec***
The northern lights on November 17, 1848 that I observed in Aachen (Germany) are also on the list of those that I have observed. The same northern lights were observed in Leipzig and with great splendor in Rome. As was the case this year, there were a great number of northern lights observed in 1848; in Aachen I observed northern lights on April 6, September 30, October 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, November 17, 18, 21, and 22, and December 13. ***** The deviation of the magnet needle from astronomic north is very small in Cuba, approximately 5 to the east.
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ond clear segment that extended up to 23 above the horizon, while the first extended to the zenith. At 234 hours both segments sank. The lower segment disappeared first at 314 hours. From 314–4 hours the red shine began splitting up and disappeared bit by bit, and between 4 and 5 hours, at the beginning of dawn, the last traces of the northern light disappeared. The observer finds this northern light unusual due to (1) its appearance in the third night after the first appearance, (2) the great splendor and considerable height, (3) the absence of a lower dark segment, (4) the great height of 23 of the bow or shining segments, (5) the formation of rays that extended to the zenith, and (6) the continual movement of the entire northern light from E to west and stepwise movements back again from W to E. There was not a single sound heard during the entire appearance; a free hanging magnet rod did not oscillate in the slightest; the gold leaves of a Bohnenbergischen Elektrometer did not register the slightest trace of electricity. The northern light of September 2 was observed at a latitude lower than Havanna. Mr. Mercier, president of the tribunal of Basse-Terre at Guadeloupe reports that even below the 16th degree latitude the amazed inhabitants observed the northern light. It reached its maximum at 3 o’clock in the morning. Correspondence reports from Melbourne in Australia concerning the southern lights on August 29 and September 2. (conclusion of page 384) It was a very interesting observation that there was such a disturbance of the instruments of the electric telegraph during the entire day of the 29th that the line from New South Wales, Adelaide and Victoria was interrupted. The effect was very similar to that caused by atmospheric electricity and which we can explain by the inductive force of the Earth’s magnetism. The observations show that the electric tension in the atmosphere was not greatly disturbed. The following are observations of this phenomenon that have been sent to me from various stations: Sydney. Great disturbance in the electric telegraph on the morning of August 29, 10 o’clock. It was generally impossible to send a telegraph message. When the question arose from the various stations what the problem could be, it turned out to be the same disturbance as was registered here. It lasted until evening when a southern light appeared. At 712 hours the sky shone with a red light. Adelaide. Observation of a brightly shining meteor toward the south, and almost immediately thereafter the appearance of a beautiful southern light. The telegraph station operated very badly during the entire day. Cap Otway. Splendid southern light from 612 hours in the evening until 2 in the morning. Belfast. Very reddened sky toward the southeast about 612 hours in the evening. During the entire day there was no trace of a thunder storm. Mount Gambier. Appearance of a shining meteor around 7 hours from southwest toward northeast passing
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through the sky. Disturbance of the telegraph line during the entire day. Portland. Appearance of southern lights around 6 hours 40 minutes and approximately at 7 hours a beautiful meteor that some seemed to think produced a hissing sound. No thunderstorm during the day. Longwood. Southern light at 6 hours 10 minutes in the afternoon on the southwest of the horizon, climbing with shaking movements toward zenith, all nuances of colors from pale red or yellow to deep scarlet, until it disappeared at 714 hours. Thunder and lightning in the southwest on the 28, 29, and 30, accompanied by isolated showers of rain. Benalla. Southern light at 612 hours, excellently clear sky. Wangaratta. Southern light at 612 hours until 712 hours continually. Beechworth. Southern light beginning at 534 hours, growing stepwise in beauty and radiance, disappearing at 714 hours. Disturbance of the telegraph line all day. No thunderstorm. Balfaarat. Southern light 634 hours forming a splendid bow toward the east. The colors were red, green, violet. The ray bundles were splendid. The southern part of the sky was so brightly illuminated that shadows formed. Albury. Southern light at 612 hours. Sandhurst. Splendid southern light from 7 hours until midnight. No thunderstorm. Echuca. Southern light 712 hours in a pale red color, excellent rays at 9 hours. Maryborough. The most brilliant part of the southern light was toward the east, it rose quickly to the zenith and covered half the sky. Queenscliffe. Immediately after sundown white light toward the south, at 7 hours the sky toward ESE and NNW was illuminated by the wide bands of red or skincolored light. Straightaway after the discharge of the magnetic aura, strong gusts of wind came up from the north, an occurrence that had been observed on other occasions. (end of page 389) Page 391 Southern light on September 2, 1859 Time
September 2
Eastern Declination
Horizontal intensity
4–5 o’clock 5–6 6–7 7–8 8–9 9–10 10–11 11–12
Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon September 3 Morning Morning
845 0 ,32 58,84 45,61 39,12 32,26 33,56 29,21 29,42
2,36271 2,36010 2,34941 2,34388 2,35184 2,35313 2,35210 2,34513
28,34 28,84
2,35868 2,34470
0–1 1–2
2–3 3–4 4–5 5–6 8–9
Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning
24,84 39,56 36,20 36,20 31,10
2,35434 2,34460 2,34661 2,34948 2,35256
Mr. James, station master at the telegraphic station in Melbourne, reported to me that on September 2 a disturbance was registered in the telegraphic line similar to the disturbance that took place on August 9th in New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria. From the reports sent in from various locations there was no observation of any electrical appearances in the atmosphere during the entire time. What made this southern light especially interesting was the appearance of a splendid crown that lasted almost two hours and whose center lay 6612 degrees above the horizon, a height that is almost coincident with the 6712 0 inclination of the magnet needle. The southern light was observed in most areas; the following reports were sent to us: Bellaarat. Southern light visible on the 2nd. 634 hours– 14 hours. At the outset a pale red that changed to pink and gray was seen on the southern sky. This spread out quickly over the east and west. At 9 hours it gave the appearance of the glow of a forest fire. At 10 hours the southern light was splendid and the rays had clear contours; at 1012 hours it was the same in the east and west. The southern part of the sky was light up until 2 hours in the morning. Excerpt from a letter from Mr. Huyghe: This phenomenon was so special because it expanded and covered the entire sky. The color was so lively that the red penetrated through the clouds with an intensity that I have never seen previously by northern lights that I frequently saw in North America. (end of page 391) Appendix E.
Excerpt from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, dritter Jahrgang (new series 3), 1860 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 2/Wednesday, January 12, 1860 Page 16 The northern lights observed on September 2 (1859) on the Island Portorico Mr. Quetelet in Brussels informed us of a letter from the director of a sugar plantation on the island of Portorico (Spanish Antilles), Mr. Du Colombier, who observed northern lights on the morning of September 2 (1859) on the Amistad sugar plantation, three miles from the city of San-German and 5 miles from the harbour Mayuguez (below 18 north latitude, 69 west longitude from Paris). At 02:30 a.m. he awoke and saw
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
through the bedroom window facing north that the sky was glowing purple. He quickly got up and was informed by the night watchman that the northern lights had started at 02:00 a.m. The red, purple, and violet streams continued until 04:00 a.m. The northern lights are so rare on Portorico that even the very oldest people could not remember ever having seen them. Appendix F.
Excerpt from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, dritter Jahrgang (new series 3), 1860 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 5/Wednesday, February 01, 1860, page 37–38 Pages 37–38 Northern lights on September 02, 1859, and simultaneous southern lights in South America It is highly interesting to see how extremely widespread the polar lights of September 2, (1859), were over the face of the Earth. We received news from South America, that, as in Australia, glorious southern lights were observed. The (newspaper) ‘‘Mercury of Valparaiso’’ wrote: ‘‘Conception, Chile, 37 southern latitude, 53 west longitude from Ferro. From midnight until 2 o’clock in the morning on September 2, (1859), polar lights were seen on the southern sky. The movement was from east to west, and it appeared to be an inflamed cloud, giving off bright beams that illuminated the sky as bright as the moon. Two falling stars shot through as well. The entire city was illuminated for almost an hour. In Santiago in Chile (3326 0 southern latitude, 53 west longitude from Ferro), gorgeous light in blue, yellow, and red illuminated the city during three hours. The southern lights were also seen in Valparaiso, as well as somewhat north thereof. Southern lights, which are seen frequently on Cape Horn, occur very rarely in Chile. To compare the various occurrences in Chile, Germany, and Australia, it helps to know that the time difference between Melbourne in Australia and Conception or Santiago in Chile is 14 hours, 22 minutes, between Berlin and Santiago 5 hours, 36 minutes. The time between 12 and 2 o’clock midnight in Conception, where the southern lights were aglow, corresponds to the time between 2 hours 22 minutes and 4 hours 22 minutes in the afternoon on the same September 2 in Melbourne, where, as was reported, a huge disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field began that was its strongest at 4 o’clock; this corresponds to the time between 5 hours, 36 minutes and 7 hours, 36 minutes in Berlin, at which time huge disturbances in the electric telegraph were noticeable in our area. The northern lights on August 28 (1859) were also seen in Africa. Dr. Daniels, military surgeon, wrote from St. George del Mina (on the west coast of Africa) to Dr. Kreeke in Utrecht: ‘‘On August 28 the northern lights were
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glorious in the evening from 1112 until 2 o’clock in the night. We were sailing at 1950 0 west of Greenwich and 28 northern latitude.’’ This point lies on the parallel to the peak of Tenerife. Appendix G.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, dritter Jahrgang (new series 3), 1860 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 34/Wednesday, August 22, 1860 Pages 269–271 Correspondence reports on the occurrences of northern lights Dr. F.M. Krecke, Director of the meteorological institute in Utrecht (Germany) wrote us: ‘‘I am taking the liberty of favoring you with a communication for your Wochenschrift about several occurrences of the polar lights below the equator, which I have compiled from ships’ logs of the last three years. It was not possible for me to collect all the data that is contained in these more than one thousand journals.****** 4. Ship Doelwyck. Captain K.J. Swart. August 29, 1859,1 4013 0 south latitude, 4324 0 east longitude from Greenwich. From 3 a.m. until dawn a majestic and delightfully beautiful phenomenon. Approximately 25 above the horizon the sky was illuminated from SSE to SSW. The stars shone with a bright white glow through the red. 5. Ship Kosmopolit. Captain Bouten. On September 2, 18592 3923 0 south latitude and 7343 0 east longitude from Greenwich. In the evening at 08:00 o’clock as the clouds opened, a fire red glow was seen in the sky, through which one could observe the stars. Later, as the sky cleared, the entire southern horizon was illuminated, as by the break of day. 6. The same ship (as in 5). On the following evening3 at 3836 0 south latitude, 7828 0 east longitude from Greenwich there was again a red glow in the south; the horizon was illuminated as by the break of day. The rays of the southern light shot oblique upward. ****** Translator’s remark: The listing includes only the reports of polar lights that occurred between August 28 and September 4, 1859. The original list included nine observations. The numbering given refers to the original numbers in the article. 1 The great polar lights from August 29 last year, which was spoken of many times in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’, was also seen between Africa and Australia in the region of the island St. Paul. 2 On the same day a strong magnetic disturbance was observed in Europe (Wochenschrift 1859, page 302; 1860, page 6, 7), as well as northern lights in Havanna (Wochenschrift 1859, page 346), southern lights on Cape Horn (Wochenschrift 1859, page 6) as well as northern lights in Hamburg, Durham in England, Krakau, Kremsmu¨nster, Athens (Wochenschrift 1860, page 127). 3 On the same evening northern lights were seen in England, Sweden, Greece (Wochenschrift 1860, page 128).
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7. Ship Daelwyck. Captain K.J. Swart. September 4, 1859. 40 south latitude, 66 east longitude from Greenwich. The same apparition in the sky as on August 29. Most gorgeous in the south. After the southern lights disappeared, a large halo was visible around the moon. 8. Barque ship Baltimore, captain G.H. Brakke. September 2, 1859. From 3:30 a.m. until dawn we saw at 2720 0 north latitude and 34 34 0 west longitude from Greenwich from NW to NE the sky was completely red. The northern light appeared in the direction of the compass needle as a fierce conflagration.
9. Barque ship Het geode Vertrouwen, captain D.J. Kraan. September 2, 1859 at 1428 0 north latitude and 2420 0 west longitude from Greenwich. In the morning 412 to 514 o’clock. The sky toward the north is very red up to 30 over the horizon. At daybreak we saw the island Tuego (one of the islands in the green cape area). Of these observations points from which the polar lights were seen, 3836 0 and +1428 0 are the closest to the equator . . .’’
Excerpts from and Comments on the Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2) Louise Wilson
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Physikalisches Institut, Universita¨t Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Received 20 June 2006; received in revised form 7 July 2006; accepted 8 July 2006
Abstract Articles related to auroral and geomagnetic observations in August 1859–September 1859 from the publication ‘‘Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie and Geographie, Neue Folge’’ have been translated and assembled into one compilation. A brief summary of this publication is also given. 2006 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Carrington event; Aurora; Geomagnetic disturbances; The Wochenschrift
1. Introduction At the request of M.A. Shea, several articles and sections of articles related to the August and September 1859 auroral and geomagnetic events have been translated from the original German as published in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’. While proving to be useful for researchers studying the period of the ‘‘Carrington Event’’, reference to the publication itself was rather hazy. To make things a bit clearer for the modern (and English-speaking) reader, this is a short explanation of the reference text and a brief description and history of the publication itself. 2. The ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ The ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ first appeared in Leipzig, Germany, in 1847 as a weekly publication for the ‘‘entertainment of dilettantes and friends of astronomy, geography, and weather’’ (Unterhaltung fu¨r Dilettanten und Freunde der Astronomie, Geographie und Witterungskunde). The edi-
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E-mail address: [email protected] Compiler and Translator.
tor was G.A. Jahn and the publisher Robert Friese (Leipzig). In 1858 a new series (‘‘neue Folge’’) was initiated with a more sophisticated title, ‘‘Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie’’, i.e. a weekly magazine for astronomy, meteorology, and geography. The new publishing house was H.W. Schmidt in Halle (an der Saale, i.e. on the river Saale), Germany. Fortunately, the ETH Zurich has the entire collection, 1847–1891, of the ‘‘Wochen-schrift’’ in its archives, and arrangements were made to borrow the volumes that describe the aurora and geomagnetic activity associated with the Carrington Event in 1859. The editor of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ in 1859 was Eduard Heis, a German astronomer born in Cologne, Germany, in 1806. In 1852, on the request of Alexander von Humboldt, Heis was appointed by King Frederick William IV to the chair of mathematics and astronomy at the Academy of Mu¨nster (now the University of Mu¨nster), a position that he held for twenty-five years. From 1857 to 1877 Heis was the editor of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’, and his name appears in bold, ‘‘Professor Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster’’, on the cover page of every weekly issue. Since the name appears without any initials, articles from this publication are
0273-1177/$30 2006 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.004
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
frequently referenced simply by Heis, Editor. Professor Heis has been described by his contemporaries as a devoted teacher, an exemplary husband and father, and a faithful Catholic. The bound ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ from 1859 is only 13 · 21 cm, about the size of a modern paperback book. The pages are slightly darkened with age. Browsing through the old and beautifully bound book, certain characteristics of the publication become evident. Each weekly issue is exactly four pages long. There is a neat fold still visible in the middle of each issue, certainly to reduce the size of the publication for mailing. The rather unorganized variety and lively mixture of subjects is remindful of a local newspaper. Some topics are continued throughout several issues. The index that was added at the beginning of the bound book is a helpful concession to the modern reader and researcher. On the last page of the bound volume of the year 1860 there is something like an advertizement saying the publication will be continued in 1861 and that the ‘‘gentlemen subscribers’’ are encouraged to place their subscription orders as soon as possible so as not to miss out on any weekly issues. The price of the subscription for 1861 was three Reichstaler, equivalent to two days’ wages of a mayor, or about a week’s wages for normal working people. The ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ was obviously not a publication that many people could afford. 3. Articles on the August and September 1859 events In reviewing the meticulous 19th century German texts, I had the help of Professor Erwin Flu¨ckiger of the University of Bern and a cosmic ray expert. At the suggestion of Dr. Shea we looked for reports on the 1859 storm in the 1860 edition of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’. There we found three important articles dated January 12, February 1, and August 22, 1860, which are quoted in their full length in the excerpts. A sighting in Africa is mentioned in the last paragraph of the article dated February 1, 1860, although the headline refers only to South America. There are about a dozen less substantial reports about the 1859 storm in the 1860 issues, e.g. telegraph disturbances in several cities in France, southern lights observed in Melbourne, and magnetic disturbances in Rome. 4. Other articles in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ The 1859 and 1860 volumes of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ abound in other subjects as well. There are tables with the Sun, Moon, and planet ephemeris, reports on fire balls, tables showing cloud cover and precipitation, description of a solar eclipse, reports on sun spots, earthquakes, and other subjects. There is one fascinating ‘‘last minute’’ report at the end of the October 24, 1860 issue: ‘‘There were no less than three new planets discovered in the month of September (1860). In Washington, Mr. Ferguson, who has already discovered the planets Euphrosyne and Virginia, discovered a new planet of
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the 11th magnitude, observed on the nights of September 15 and 16, 1860 . . .’’ 5. Summary The mixture of journalistic and scientific reporting in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ describes and analyzes events for the reader’s entertainment – in the best sense of the word – with varying degrees of objectivity, making it fascinating literature. At the same time it is truly a historically valuable scientific document. It is hoped that the items related to the ‘‘Carrington Event’’ period as extracted from the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’ and given in the Appendices, will be useful to researchers in the future. Appendix A.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 38/Wednesday, September 21, 1859 Pages 297–300 and 302–303 Northern lights during the night of August 28–29 and on the evening of September 5 A large and magnificent northern light was observed during the night of August 28–29 in Germany, France, Belgium, England, and Italy; massive disturbances in the Earth’s magnetism were detected simultaneously in Greenwich and Rome, and in Lisbon and Petersburg. We have received the following reports about these phenomena: A civil servant from Bamberg, Mr. Ellner, wrote: ‘‘On August 28 of this year at 11 hours at night I observed the first traces of the northern light that splendidly opened up in the sky around midnight 12 hours 30 minutes. The northwest sky was partly cloudy at 11 hours, but soon around 11 hours 35 minutes the NW, N, and NE were completely clear. In the east strong sheet lightning after a temperature of +17,5 Reaumur average during the day (in the afternoon 2 hours the temperature was 22,7 R). At the outset there was a bright shimmer in the NW near the horizon that noticeably stood out against the bright, cloudless northwest sky. Around 11 hours 37 minutes the first rays glowed up from the horizon, and at the same time a similar phenomenon appeared in NE such that between NNW and NNE the dark blue sky with a few single stars was free of any foreign illumination. The rays emerged stronger and stronger from both parts of the sky and extended up to the North Star. The colors changed from light yellow to red and the surge of the ray bundles became stronger and more intensive around 12 hours, until on the 29th around 1 hour a broad band (about 1–2 widths of the full moon), bright at first and then changing over to red, connected the two seas of light in the NW and NE. At that moment the N and NNE areas of the sky turned red, and it illuminated the entire wide space from NW to NE in a sea of rays from dark red to light yellow. The stars of the Little
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Bear were partially recognizable through the red, and all the main start of the Big Bear. The horizontal cloud bank that stretched from NNW to ENE was dirty red and greenish blue in some places. By 2 hours 45 minutes there was nothing left of this lively and extremely interesting phenomenon except for a white-bluish illumination similar to the way the moonlight illuminates a fog bank. The flaming up and sinking of the ray bundles was so lively and quick that it was almost impossible to keep record of the time, and the expansion so great that it was hard to maintain an overview without the help of another person. During the onset the lights developed very slowly, but their disappearance occurred so quickly that the splendid activity that began at 2 hours 15 minutes had disappeared down to a minimum at 2 hours 30 minutes, followed by only 15 minutes of the slightly illuminated fog layer. This is the second northern light that has been observed since Maundy Thursday this year.’’ Mr. Lichtenberger from Neunkirchen reported: ‘‘The first time I saw the northern light – it was one hour after midnight – the phenomenon was in full display: a number of reddish ray bundles in almost vertical parallel position, their tops bordering on the so-called crown of the northern light, illuminating the night sky in a striking way from northeast to the northwest, the ray bundles alternating from long to short, light to dark, joining together to a reddish mass of light and splitting into new bands in other places – all this was a continuing magical scene. The phenomenon was most impressive in the northeast, and at 1:30 the outermost, rather clearly edged bands extended up from the horizon through the heads of Gemini to the 0 and g stars in Auriga, and in the outermost on the opposite side to the left to the North Star. In the northwest and west the horizon was covered with a dark cloud bank up to about 30 high through which a glow appeared as well as through a partly cloudless band on the horizon. At three o’clock the rays declined in the northeast, and the brightness of the north light became weaker with the arrival of dawn.’’ Mr. Kalinski wrote us from Prague that even after 2 in the morning the northern light was still very intensive with white rays. In the evening of the 28th at 1014 the magnets were in their usual positions, but they showed a much weaker horizontal intensity than usual on the 29th, 30th, and 31st (until the afternoon). From Stuttgart was reported that in the night of August 28–29 a bright northern light was observed. The ‘‘Olmu¨tzer Neue Zeit’’ reports: The appearance was very similar to that of a northern light, and the color of the long tapered light rays that were much more intensive than the color of redden air mass at the horizon. It began at 2 hours at night, lost on intensity after a quarter of an hour, regained intensity thereafter, was at its most intensive state at 212 hours, and disappeared almost completely after 3 hours. Heavy sheet lightning accompanied it. Around 1 hour 32 minutes there were oscillations on the magnet needles of the Boussolen accord-
ing to news from the local telegraph office as well as considerable deflections of 30–40, and on the apparatus there were constantly measurable currents that lasted 4–6 minutes. The apparatus were shut off and turned on again at 5 hours 25 minutes. The effect of the constant currents continued. At 6 hours 8 minutes all the apparatus began to operate. The ensuing loud clatter of the apparatus was assumed to be caused by the frequent interruption of the constant current beforehand. The same was observed on the apparatus in Vienna (which is remarkable due to the large number of connections in all directions), then in Oderberg, Pardubitz, Krakau and in the Prussian Telegraph Offices. There is a report from Weserlingen (Province Sachsen) that white, yellow, red, and black rays shot up from the horizon almost to the zenith. Pastor Sulzer from Ittendorf on Lake Constance: ‘‘In my last weather report from the month of August I expressed the supposition that the red shimmer that I saw in the northern sky on the 29th early in the morning at 3–14 4 hour was the effect of the northern light; what convinces me were the single white ray bundles that extended toward the zenith. But because the dawn light was so strong I was not quite sure, even more so because it could have been due to the contrast between the color of the sky and the dark roofs of several houses that hid the northern horizon from my view. In the meantime we have received confirmation from everywhere that what I unfortunately saw so late was really a northern light. Especially unusual was the disturbance in the telegraph lines, which was undoubtedly due to the phenomena. Even yesterday, September 2, it was still not possible to telegraph from Meersburg and Konstanz, which I heard from a gentlemen who had a telegraph to send to Berlin. According to the telegrapher, the continuous fluctuations of the magnet needle that were still occurring yesterday are very unusual. Was the ‘‘Ho¨henrauch’’* visible on the 23rd and 24th connected with this phenomenon? Or with the unusually large and numerous sunspots?’’ On the morning of the 29th in Bonn, Prof. von Riese noticed that the magnet needle in the magnetic observatory fluctuated nearly 2 0 between 8–812 o’clock. The director of the observatory in Brussels, Mr. Quetelet, sent the following news by telegram to the Paris Observatory: ‘‘Northern lights from midnight until 1 hour 30 minutes in the morning; interrupted currents in all telegraph wires. The entire morning the underwater cable from Ostende to Dover was pervaded with the aura; the telegraph service between Brussels and London was almost completely hindered.’’ * Ho ¨ henrauch: Expression for great layers of smoke that were caused by the burning of moorlands. The moor was loosely plowed, the clods allowed to dry for a few days, and then burned. The smoke often spread over entire Germany in the 18th century, causing unpleasant odor and general irritation for the inhabitants.
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
The chief engineer of the electric telegraphs reported to Mr. Quetelet that while the northern light was at its greatest, the attendants at the telegraph stations in Mons, Gent, Ostende, and Antwerp were wakened by the ringing of the bells. In Paris, London, and Berlin the telegraphs were working, but broke down completely until 1 hour 30 minutes. (end of page 300) excerpt from Pages 302–303 The time at the end of August and beginning of September is unusual for northern lights, at least in our region. In the current century northern lights were observed: August 28, 1827, 29, 30, 31, 37, 38, 39, 40, 46, 48. August 29, 1805, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 37, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50. September 5, 1822, 30, 33, 37, 38, 47, 48, 50.
Appendix B.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 43/Wednesday, October 26, 1859 Pages 340–343 The northern lights and the associated magnetic disturbances from the end of August until mid-October The northern lights of August 28th–29th and September 5th have already been mentioned in issue number 38 of the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’; since then they have appeared again with unusual frequency on September 24th and 25th and on October 1st and 12th. 1. Further news about the northern lights of August 28th–29th and of September 5th Superintendent Klopsch writes from Naugard: ‘‘The northern light seen in the morning hours of August 29th was observed here as well in all its splendor. I observed the northern light of September 5th – so far as the heavily clouded sky allowed. Due to the cloudiness it was difficult to determine exactly when it began – I assume that it began at approximately 7 hours 30 minutes (m. Naug. Zeit). At 8 hours the northern sky opened up somewhat and was flooded with a pale purple glow under which bright white light arcs without rays emerged, even though greatly covered by the mass of clouds. In varying intensity the redness in N and NE remained until 8 hours 20 minutes. At 8 hours 35 minutes it disappeared completely and left behind a general brightness. At 8 hours 50 minutes it appeared quickly again, less bright, in the region of the Capella. After 9 hours this red disappeared as well, and until 10 hours all that was visible was bright light in the space between the clouds.’’ The director of the observatory in Rome, H. Secchi, reported that on the night of August 28th–29th the sky over Rome was covered with red stripes, which is very seldom there; bright ray bundles ascended up from the hori-
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zon. Every 10 to 12 minutes the declination needle deviated from its normal position. This disturbance lasted long into the morning of the 29th. Mr. Le Verrier of the Paris Observatory observed magnetic disturbances: ‘‘The first anomaly in the movement of the needle was noticed on August 26th from 9–12 o’clock in the morning. In this short time the declinations needle fluctuated 22 0 2000 . During the magnetic storm on August 29th, it was primarily the declination needle that was deflected, whereas on September 1st after two quiet days, the Bifilar, which registers the horizontal intensity, showed considerable disturbance. The magnetic storm on September 1st was much stronger than that on August 29th, even though no northern light was seen on that day. Physicists usually assume that northern lights manifest their influence on the magnet needle by a reduction in intensity, but the observations of the imperial observatories showed exactly the opposite. The curves of the deviations recorded in photographs at the Paris observatory** correspond perfectly with those from the Greenwich observatory, so exactly as if the one had copied from the other.’’ From Leizpig is reported: ‘‘The northern light observed on August 28th and 29th had such an influence on all the Saxon telegraph stations that the relays were periodically affected by strong electrical ground current and the magnetic needles in the vertical Galvanoscopes oscillated from right to left. In the experiments that were made by connecting a Declinationsboussole (declination compass) to a line, an alternating east and west deviation of the needle was observed that became stronger the closer the connected wire approached the magnetic meridian. Telegraphy was greatly disrupted and the disturbance caused by the northern light did not cease until August 29th at 10 o’clock in the morning. The telegraph office in Bern reported: The electrical phenomenon that made telegraphic correspondence totally impossible in various telegraph offices here and in other places in the night of August 28th to 29th have reoccurred since then, the strongest occurring on September 1st. That time, instead of short currents, there were constant currents that continued without interruption from 6 to 9, as well as at midday from 12 to 2 34 hours. It was strange that these currents kept changing the direction of the needle, e.g. sometimes to the west, slowly back to north again, toward east and back again to the previous direction. These movements from one side to the other occurred in almost regular minute intervals. It seemed that the currents changed directions periodically.
** During my visit at the Greenwich observatory in 1851 I was happy to see how the meteorological and magnetic observatory photographically recorded from minute to minute the changing thermometer, psychrometer and barometer readings, the fluctuations of the declination and inclination needles etc. The recording of the fluctuations of the declination needle e.g. was carried out as follows: In a dark room where the apparatus was installed, concentrated light from a camphin lamp fell on a small metal mirror connected to the declination needle . . .
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One also found that magnetic needles connected to separate lines were not deflected in the same direction at the same time, to the extent that one needle connected to a line coming from north pointed to the opposite direction compared to a needle connected to a line going south. Because these unusual electrical currents were of such intensity, the measurement of their resistance would have been interesting. These phenomena, which can probably be associated with the last northern light, were observed in all telegraph offices in France and Sardinia according to our information. Appendix C.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.A. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 48./Wednesday, November 30, 1859 Pages 382–384 News from correspondents in Melbourne, Australia concerning southern lights continued from page 376 1st Southern light on August 29 In the 10 days from August 19–28 the declination reached its maximum of the daily mean on the 22nd, and a minimum followed on the 24th. The horizontal intensity of the earth’s magnetism reached its minimum on the 19th, namely 0,0013 below the mean 2,36089, and increased tremendously from that day on until it reached its maximum on the 26th, namely 0,0009 above the mean. The magnetic inclination showed similar movements. On the evening of August 28th very great disturbances occurred in all three elements, all of which declined in the early morning of the 29th. At 4 o’clock in the morning the horizontal intensity was 0,0020 below the mean of the 10 previous days and at 8 hours and 50 minutes in the morning increased so severely that the intensity from time to time and the inclination very frequently could not be observed because the scale in the field of the telescope was not great enough. The following table contains the means for declination and horizontal intensity: Time
August 29th
Declination
Horizontal intensity
7–8 o’clock 8–9 9–10 10–11 11–12 12–1 1–2 2–3 3–4 4–5 5–6
Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon
824 0 ,20 22,23 8,52 13,00 22,86 34,33 37,54 37,40 38,46 38,83 34,21
2,36264 2,33677 2,35072 2,34711 2,34983 2,35160 2,35539 2,35755 2,34353 2,35479 2,35412
These violent disturbances led to the prediction of polar lights; during the entire day the clouds were carefully observed for a trace of a southern light, which was finally noticed at 6 hours 10 minutes (after sundown) between southeast and south. From then on the brightness increased quickly. 6 hours 40 minutes Rose colored clouds in the SE, SW, and W 6 hours 50 minutes Splendid southern light. Red rays of considerable width toward SE, SW, and W to S, visible up to a height of 50–60 degrees. A very wide white ray bundle in the SW to S. 7 hours 12 minutes Reddish-white stripes at the level of the zodiac of 30 degrees height, obviously a connection of the zodiacal light with the southern light. 7 hours 15 minutes The southern light disappears. 7 hours 16 minutes White spots in SE, pale red. 7 hours 20 minutes Red in S and SW, disappearing and changing to white while the white in SSE changes to red. 7 hours 21 minutes High, wide and white clouds in the south, low banks of sharply contoured cumulus-stratus. 7 hours 23 minutes Sharply contoured bows of light in 10–12 height above the cloud bank mentioned above, reaching from SSE to WSW. Zodiac light visible. 7 hours 26 minutes White, wide brightness from W to S 7 hours 30 minutes Pale red in SE. Two rays, one in the zodiac, the other through the Southern Cross 7 hours 32 minutes Weak rays toward WSW 7 hours 34 minutes Pale red in ESE almost to the zenith 7 hours 35 minutes Pale light from W to N that changed to red at 7 hours 27 minutes and that extended to 40 to 50 degrees height at 7 hours 39 minutes. 7 hours 42 minutes Red rays appear; 7 hours 43 minutes white rays in SW to W 7 hours 45 minutes The white rays widen. 7 hours 48 minutes Bright spots in S and SW. The phenomenon lasted until 2 hours 15 minutes after midnight, where alternating rays shot up and red and white clouds appeared. Appendix D.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2), 1859 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 49/Wednesday, December 7, 1859
L. Wilson / Advances in Space Research 38 (2006) 304–312
Pages 385–389 and 391 Northern lights from August 28–29 and September 2, 1859 Reports of a more accurate nature have arrived from Havanna about the northern lights on August 28–29 and September 2, 1859. Mr. Poey noted that this phenomenon very rarely appears at such low latitudes (233 0 ). There are only four appearances that have been noted, namely on November 13, 1784, November 4, 1789, in the year 1833, and the fourth on November 17, 1848***. Including the last two observations from August 28 and September 2, there have been six observations of northern lights by the inhabitants of Cuba in the last 75 years. Mr. Poey reports: Northern light on August 28. At 09 hours and 5 minutes (13:21 Paris time) I noticed first of all a reddish shine that quickly rose over the horizon, exactly north***** and extended from northeast to northwest. Its height was approximately 23 and reached the North Star. The redness increased more and more until around 914, and from then on the northern light became weaker until it disappeared about 10. After that a weak light remained in the northern sky. About 1 the northern light reappeared and extended again to the North Star. It reached its greatest intensity between 4 and 414 ; the basis was carmine red, from which rays of various widths, some fire red, others whitish in color, reached to the zenith. At 4 hours 20 minutes the northern light extinguished completely. Northern light of September 1–2. This second northern light was much more splendid than the first, was larger and lasted longer; it was not seen before 1212 hours and it lasted until 5 hours in the morning. Between 1212 and 1234 it appeared first toward the east and then toward the west with white rays. From 1234–1 hours it appeared in the east in red light. At 1 hour one began to notice increasing brightness from the north that spread toward NNE and that made it possible to see the contours of the clouds (cumulus), the horizon of the ocean, and the harbor. In the same intensity that the shine became brighter it also took on a more blue color; it reached a height of up to 12. Whitish, reddish, and bluish rays shot out toward west. The intensity of the brightness increased more and more toward east, whereas toward west a red segment increased in brightness and expanse. At 114 hours rays rose above the entire expanse of the northern light. The brightness extinguished in ENE. E and thereafter W were completely red. At 2 hours the northern light reached the height of its splendor, i.e. the sky seemed to flare up in a blood-red color. Below one of the upper red segments one could see a wide space or a sec***
The northern lights on November 17, 1848 that I observed in Aachen (Germany) are also on the list of those that I have observed. The same northern lights were observed in Leipzig and with great splendor in Rome. As was the case this year, there were a great number of northern lights observed in 1848; in Aachen I observed northern lights on April 6, September 30, October 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, November 17, 18, 21, and 22, and December 13. ***** The deviation of the magnet needle from astronomic north is very small in Cuba, approximately 5 to the east.
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ond clear segment that extended up to 23 above the horizon, while the first extended to the zenith. At 234 hours both segments sank. The lower segment disappeared first at 314 hours. From 314–4 hours the red shine began splitting up and disappeared bit by bit, and between 4 and 5 hours, at the beginning of dawn, the last traces of the northern light disappeared. The observer finds this northern light unusual due to (1) its appearance in the third night after the first appearance, (2) the great splendor and considerable height, (3) the absence of a lower dark segment, (4) the great height of 23 of the bow or shining segments, (5) the formation of rays that extended to the zenith, and (6) the continual movement of the entire northern light from E to west and stepwise movements back again from W to E. There was not a single sound heard during the entire appearance; a free hanging magnet rod did not oscillate in the slightest; the gold leaves of a Bohnenbergischen Elektrometer did not register the slightest trace of electricity. The northern light of September 2 was observed at a latitude lower than Havanna. Mr. Mercier, president of the tribunal of Basse-Terre at Guadeloupe reports that even below the 16th degree latitude the amazed inhabitants observed the northern light. It reached its maximum at 3 o’clock in the morning. Correspondence reports from Melbourne in Australia concerning the southern lights on August 29 and September 2. (conclusion of page 384) It was a very interesting observation that there was such a disturbance of the instruments of the electric telegraph during the entire day of the 29th that the line from New South Wales, Adelaide and Victoria was interrupted. The effect was very similar to that caused by atmospheric electricity and which we can explain by the inductive force of the Earth’s magnetism. The observations show that the electric tension in the atmosphere was not greatly disturbed. The following are observations of this phenomenon that have been sent to me from various stations: Sydney. Great disturbance in the electric telegraph on the morning of August 29, 10 o’clock. It was generally impossible to send a telegraph message. When the question arose from the various stations what the problem could be, it turned out to be the same disturbance as was registered here. It lasted until evening when a southern light appeared. At 712 hours the sky shone with a red light. Adelaide. Observation of a brightly shining meteor toward the south, and almost immediately thereafter the appearance of a beautiful southern light. The telegraph station operated very badly during the entire day. Cap Otway. Splendid southern light from 612 hours in the evening until 2 in the morning. Belfast. Very reddened sky toward the southeast about 612 hours in the evening. During the entire day there was no trace of a thunder storm. Mount Gambier. Appearance of a shining meteor around 7 hours from southwest toward northeast passing
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through the sky. Disturbance of the telegraph line during the entire day. Portland. Appearance of southern lights around 6 hours 40 minutes and approximately at 7 hours a beautiful meteor that some seemed to think produced a hissing sound. No thunderstorm during the day. Longwood. Southern light at 6 hours 10 minutes in the afternoon on the southwest of the horizon, climbing with shaking movements toward zenith, all nuances of colors from pale red or yellow to deep scarlet, until it disappeared at 714 hours. Thunder and lightning in the southwest on the 28, 29, and 30, accompanied by isolated showers of rain. Benalla. Southern light at 612 hours, excellently clear sky. Wangaratta. Southern light at 612 hours until 712 hours continually. Beechworth. Southern light beginning at 534 hours, growing stepwise in beauty and radiance, disappearing at 714 hours. Disturbance of the telegraph line all day. No thunderstorm. Balfaarat. Southern light 634 hours forming a splendid bow toward the east. The colors were red, green, violet. The ray bundles were splendid. The southern part of the sky was so brightly illuminated that shadows formed. Albury. Southern light at 612 hours. Sandhurst. Splendid southern light from 7 hours until midnight. No thunderstorm. Echuca. Southern light 712 hours in a pale red color, excellent rays at 9 hours. Maryborough. The most brilliant part of the southern light was toward the east, it rose quickly to the zenith and covered half the sky. Queenscliffe. Immediately after sundown white light toward the south, at 7 hours the sky toward ESE and NNW was illuminated by the wide bands of red or skincolored light. Straightaway after the discharge of the magnetic aura, strong gusts of wind came up from the north, an occurrence that had been observed on other occasions. (end of page 389) Page 391 Southern light on September 2, 1859 Time
September 2
Eastern Declination
Horizontal intensity
4–5 o’clock 5–6 6–7 7–8 8–9 9–10 10–11 11–12
Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon September 3 Morning Morning
845 0 ,32 58,84 45,61 39,12 32,26 33,56 29,21 29,42
2,36271 2,36010 2,34941 2,34388 2,35184 2,35313 2,35210 2,34513
28,34 28,84
2,35868 2,34470
0–1 1–2
2–3 3–4 4–5 5–6 8–9
Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning
24,84 39,56 36,20 36,20 31,10
2,35434 2,34460 2,34661 2,34948 2,35256
Mr. James, station master at the telegraphic station in Melbourne, reported to me that on September 2 a disturbance was registered in the telegraphic line similar to the disturbance that took place on August 9th in New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria. From the reports sent in from various locations there was no observation of any electrical appearances in the atmosphere during the entire time. What made this southern light especially interesting was the appearance of a splendid crown that lasted almost two hours and whose center lay 6612 degrees above the horizon, a height that is almost coincident with the 6712 0 inclination of the magnet needle. The southern light was observed in most areas; the following reports were sent to us: Bellaarat. Southern light visible on the 2nd. 634 hours– 14 hours. At the outset a pale red that changed to pink and gray was seen on the southern sky. This spread out quickly over the east and west. At 9 hours it gave the appearance of the glow of a forest fire. At 10 hours the southern light was splendid and the rays had clear contours; at 1012 hours it was the same in the east and west. The southern part of the sky was light up until 2 hours in the morning. Excerpt from a letter from Mr. Huyghe: This phenomenon was so special because it expanded and covered the entire sky. The color was so lively that the red penetrated through the clouds with an intensity that I have never seen previously by northern lights that I frequently saw in North America. (end of page 391) Appendix E.
Excerpt from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, dritter Jahrgang (new series 3), 1860 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 2/Wednesday, January 12, 1860 Page 16 The northern lights observed on September 2 (1859) on the Island Portorico Mr. Quetelet in Brussels informed us of a letter from the director of a sugar plantation on the island of Portorico (Spanish Antilles), Mr. Du Colombier, who observed northern lights on the morning of September 2 (1859) on the Amistad sugar plantation, three miles from the city of San-German and 5 miles from the harbour Mayuguez (below 18 north latitude, 69 west longitude from Paris). At 02:30 a.m. he awoke and saw
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through the bedroom window facing north that the sky was glowing purple. He quickly got up and was informed by the night watchman that the northern lights had started at 02:00 a.m. The red, purple, and violet streams continued until 04:00 a.m. The northern lights are so rare on Portorico that even the very oldest people could not remember ever having seen them. Appendix F.
Excerpt from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, dritter Jahrgang (new series 3), 1860 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 5/Wednesday, February 01, 1860, page 37–38 Pages 37–38 Northern lights on September 02, 1859, and simultaneous southern lights in South America It is highly interesting to see how extremely widespread the polar lights of September 2, (1859), were over the face of the Earth. We received news from South America, that, as in Australia, glorious southern lights were observed. The (newspaper) ‘‘Mercury of Valparaiso’’ wrote: ‘‘Conception, Chile, 37 southern latitude, 53 west longitude from Ferro. From midnight until 2 o’clock in the morning on September 2, (1859), polar lights were seen on the southern sky. The movement was from east to west, and it appeared to be an inflamed cloud, giving off bright beams that illuminated the sky as bright as the moon. Two falling stars shot through as well. The entire city was illuminated for almost an hour. In Santiago in Chile (3326 0 southern latitude, 53 west longitude from Ferro), gorgeous light in blue, yellow, and red illuminated the city during three hours. The southern lights were also seen in Valparaiso, as well as somewhat north thereof. Southern lights, which are seen frequently on Cape Horn, occur very rarely in Chile. To compare the various occurrences in Chile, Germany, and Australia, it helps to know that the time difference between Melbourne in Australia and Conception or Santiago in Chile is 14 hours, 22 minutes, between Berlin and Santiago 5 hours, 36 minutes. The time between 12 and 2 o’clock midnight in Conception, where the southern lights were aglow, corresponds to the time between 2 hours 22 minutes and 4 hours 22 minutes in the afternoon on the same September 2 in Melbourne, where, as was reported, a huge disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field began that was its strongest at 4 o’clock; this corresponds to the time between 5 hours, 36 minutes and 7 hours, 36 minutes in Berlin, at which time huge disturbances in the electric telegraph were noticeable in our area. The northern lights on August 28 (1859) were also seen in Africa. Dr. Daniels, military surgeon, wrote from St. George del Mina (on the west coast of Africa) to Dr. Kreeke in Utrecht: ‘‘On August 28 the northern lights were
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glorious in the evening from 1112 until 2 o’clock in the night. We were sailing at 1950 0 west of Greenwich and 28 northern latitude.’’ This point lies on the parallel to the peak of Tenerife. Appendix G.
Excerpts from
Wochenschrift fu¨r Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, dritter Jahrgang (new series 3), 1860 Edited by Prof. Dr. Heis in Mu¨nster/Publisher H.W. Schmidt, Halle Nr. 34/Wednesday, August 22, 1860 Pages 269–271 Correspondence reports on the occurrences of northern lights Dr. F.M. Krecke, Director of the meteorological institute in Utrecht (Germany) wrote us: ‘‘I am taking the liberty of favoring you with a communication for your Wochenschrift about several occurrences of the polar lights below the equator, which I have compiled from ships’ logs of the last three years. It was not possible for me to collect all the data that is contained in these more than one thousand journals.****** 4. Ship Doelwyck. Captain K.J. Swart. August 29, 1859,1 4013 0 south latitude, 4324 0 east longitude from Greenwich. From 3 a.m. until dawn a majestic and delightfully beautiful phenomenon. Approximately 25 above the horizon the sky was illuminated from SSE to SSW. The stars shone with a bright white glow through the red. 5. Ship Kosmopolit. Captain Bouten. On September 2, 18592 3923 0 south latitude and 7343 0 east longitude from Greenwich. In the evening at 08:00 o’clock as the clouds opened, a fire red glow was seen in the sky, through which one could observe the stars. Later, as the sky cleared, the entire southern horizon was illuminated, as by the break of day. 6. The same ship (as in 5). On the following evening3 at 3836 0 south latitude, 7828 0 east longitude from Greenwich there was again a red glow in the south; the horizon was illuminated as by the break of day. The rays of the southern light shot oblique upward. ****** Translator’s remark: The listing includes only the reports of polar lights that occurred between August 28 and September 4, 1859. The original list included nine observations. The numbering given refers to the original numbers in the article. 1 The great polar lights from August 29 last year, which was spoken of many times in the ‘‘Wochenschrift’’, was also seen between Africa and Australia in the region of the island St. Paul. 2 On the same day a strong magnetic disturbance was observed in Europe (Wochenschrift 1859, page 302; 1860, page 6, 7), as well as northern lights in Havanna (Wochenschrift 1859, page 346), southern lights on Cape Horn (Wochenschrift 1859, page 6) as well as northern lights in Hamburg, Durham in England, Krakau, Kremsmu¨nster, Athens (Wochenschrift 1860, page 127). 3 On the same evening northern lights were seen in England, Sweden, Greece (Wochenschrift 1860, page 128).
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7. Ship Daelwyck. Captain K.J. Swart. September 4, 1859. 40 south latitude, 66 east longitude from Greenwich. The same apparition in the sky as on August 29. Most gorgeous in the south. After the southern lights disappeared, a large halo was visible around the moon. 8. Barque ship Baltimore, captain G.H. Brakke. September 2, 1859. From 3:30 a.m. until dawn we saw at 2720 0 north latitude and 34 34 0 west longitude from Greenwich from NW to NE the sky was completely red. The northern light appeared in the direction of the compass needle as a fierce conflagration.
9. Barque ship Het geode Vertrouwen, captain D.J. Kraan. September 2, 1859 at 1428 0 north latitude and 2420 0 west longitude from Greenwich. In the morning 412 to 514 o’clock. The sky toward the north is very red up to 30 over the horizon. At daybreak we saw the island Tuego (one of the islands in the green cape area). Of these observations points from which the polar lights were seen, 3836 0 and +1428 0 are the closest to the equator . . .’’