Q. What is the cause of the aurora borealis, or northern light?
A. Electricity in the clouds.
Q. Why is the aurora borealis generally a white light?
A. Because the electric fluid passes through air extremely rarefied: and whenever electric fluid passes through air much rarefied, it always produces a white light.
Q. Why are there sometimes different colours in the aurora borealis, such as yellow, red, and purple?
A. Because the electric fluid passes through air of different densities. The most rarefied air produces a white light; the most dry air, red; and the most damp produces yellow streaks.
Q. Does the aurora borealis forbode fine weather or wet?
A. When its corruscations are very bright, it is generally followed by stormy moist unsettled weather.
Q. Why does a haze round the sun indicate rain?
A. Because the haze is caused by very fine rain falling in the upper regions of the air; when this is the case, a rain of 5 or 6 hours continuance, may be expected.