8. 4694, 4663, 4629. Broad band of light, somewhat less bright in the middle; very faint in those parts of the Aurora in which the red line appears (Vogel). Intensity 3-6 (Herschel). A double band, consisting of two lines, the first rather more frequently noted than the second in Auroral spectra, agrees well in position with the principal band in the negative glow-spectrum (same). Barker gives a band extending from 4740 to 4670; Backhouse and Winlock give a line at 4640, situate within the same.
9. There seems a good deal of confusion about a fairly bright line (intensity 0-6, Herschel) seen in most Auroræ (not, however, by Vogel, April 9th, 1871), and situate somewhere near G in the solar spectrum. Alvan Clarke places it at 4350, on the less refrangible side of G; Backhouse and Barker at or very near to G; while Lemström and others position it on the more refrangible side of G. Accurate observations, for which a quartz spectroscope might be useful, are much wanted. Herschel makes this line, at 4285, correspond with a strong band in the violet in the negative glow-spectrum.
Herschel also refers to an apparently additional line near the hydrogen-line, or between G and H₁, in the solar spectrum, as mentioned once by Lemström at Helsingfors. I am not aware of any other observation of this line, which must be considerably beyond that at or near G, and would probably be difficult to detect, except in instruments specially adapted for examination of the violet end of the spectrum.
Theories in relation to the Aurora and its Spectrum.
Lemström’s.
Lemström (1):—That the Polar light is caused by an electric current passing from the upper rarefied layers of the air to the earth, producing light-phenomena that do not arise in the denser layers of the air. (2) That there are nine rays (lines or bands) in the Aurora-spectrum, which in all probability agree with lines which belong to the gases of the air. (3) That the Aurora-spectrum can be referred to three distinct types, which depend on the character of the discharge.
Vogel’s.
Dr. Vogel:—(1) That the Auroræ are electric discharges in rarefied-air strata of very considerable thickness. (2) That the Aurora-spectrum is a modification of the air-spectrum, involving the question of alteration of the spectrum by conditions of temperature and pressure.
Ångström’s.