“But the band is often seen in a perfectly different form. Frequently it consists of single rays, which, standing close together, point in an almost parallel direction towards the magnetic pole. These become more intensely bright with each successive wave of light; hence each ray appears to flash and dart continually, and their green and red edges dance up and down as the waves of light run through them. Often, again, the rays extend through the whole length of the band, and reach almost up to the magnetic pole. These are sharply marked, but lighter in colour than the band itself, and in this particular form they are at some distance from each other. Their colour is yellow, and it seems as if thousands of slender threads of gold were stretched across the firmament. A glorious veil of transparent light is spread over the starry heavens; the threads of light with which this veil is woven are distinctly marked on the dark background; its lower border is a broad intensely white band, edged with green and red, which twists and turns in constant motion. A violet-coloured auroral vapour is often seen simultaneously on different parts of the sky.
Aurora in stormy weather. Fragments.
“Or, again, there has been tempestuous weather, and it is now, let us suppose, passing away. Below, on the ice, the wind has fallen; but the clouds are still driving rapidly across the sky, so that in the upper regions its force is not yet laid. Over the ice it becomes somewhat clear; behind the clouds appears an Aurora amid the darkness of the night. Stars twinkle here and there; through the opening of the clouds we see the dark firmament, and the rays of the Aurora chasing one another towards the zenith. The heavy clouds disperse, mist-like masses drive on before the wind. Fragments of the northern lights are strewn on every side: it seems as if the storm had torn the Aurora bands to tatters, and was driving them hither and thither across the sky. These threads change form and place with incredible rapidity. Here is one! lo, it is gone! Scarcely has it vanished before it appears again in another place. Through these fragments drive the waves of light: one moment they are scarcely visible, in the next they shine with intense brilliancy. But their light is no longer that glorious pale green; it is a dull yellow. It is often difficult to distinguish what is Aurora and what is vapour; the illuminated mists as they fly past are scarcely distinguishable from the auroral vapour which comes and goes on every side.
Bands. Rays reach the pole. No noise.
“But, again, another form. Bands of every possible form and intensity have been driving over the heavens. It is now eight o’clock at night, the hour of the greatest intensity of the northern lights. For a moment some bundles of rays only are to be seen in the sky. In the south a faint, scarcely visible band lies close to the horizon. All at once it rises rapidly, and spreads east and west. The waves of light begin to dart and shoot, some rays mount towards the zenith. For a short time it remains stationary, then suddenly springs to life. The waves of light drive violently from east to west, the edges assume a deep red and green colour, and dance up and down. The rays shoot up more rapidly, they become shorter; all rise together and approach nearer and nearer to the magnetic pole. It looks as if there were a race among the rays, and that each aspired to reach the pole first. And now the point is reached, and they shoot out on every side, to the north and the south, to the east and the west. Do the rays shoot from above downwards, or from below upwards? Who can distinguish? From the centre issues a sea of flames: is that sea red, white, or green? Who can say? It is all three colours at the same moment! The rays reach almost to the horizon: the whole sky is in flames. Nature displays before us such an exhibition of fireworks as transcends the powers of imagination to conceive. Involuntarily we listen; such a spectacle must, we think, be accompanied with sound. But unbroken stillness prevails; not the least sound strikes on the ear. Once more it becomes clear over the ice, and the whole phenomenon has disappeared with the same inconceivable rapidity with which it came, and gloomy night has again stretched her dark veil over everything. This was the Aurora of the coming storm—the Aurora in its fullest splendour. No pencil can draw it, no colours can paint it, and no words can describe it in all its magnificence.”
A reproduction of the woodcut in Payer’s ‘Austrian Arctic Voyages,’ illustrating some of the features of the above description, will be found on Plate I.
In the ‘Edinburgh Encyclopædia,’ article “Aurora,” we find:—
Descriptions of Auroræ in high Northern latitudes.
“In high Northern latitudes the Auroræ Boreales are singularly resplendent, and even terrific.