Description of an Aurora seen at Cardiff.
Aurora seen at Cardiff. Formation of corona.
An Aurora was seen at Cardiff. A dusky red aspect of the sky towards the north, and extending itself across the zenith westward, made its appearance about half-past 5 P.M. The lights reached their greatest intensity at 6 o’clock, when the sky was suffused with a rich crimson glow, a broad band of colour reaching from N.E. to W. A corona of deep hue, having rugged sharply defined edges, stood out prominently in the zenith, apparently on a parallel plane to the earth, and having its centre almost immediately over the head of the spectator.
Radii thrown out from corona.
From this corona, elliptic in form, and in its broadest diameter about four times the size of the moon, there were thrown out brilliant silvery blue radii, extending to the N.E. and W. horizon, and presenting the appearance of a vast cupola of fire.
Rain fell when Aurora died out.
At half-past 6 the lights died completely out, leaving masses of cloud drifting up from the south, and a shower of rain fell. The corona was remarked upon as unusual. At Edinburgh the sky was brilliant for several hours. (The date of this Aurora is uncertain, as the account is from an undated newspaper cutting. It is supposed to be in February 1872, but could hardly have been on the 4th, as the Aurora of that date did not reach its maximum development at Edinburgh till 8 P.M.)
Mr. J. R. Capron’s Aurora, seen at Guildown, Guildford, February 4th, 1874.
Silvery brightness in N.E. Light-cloud, which moved from E. to W. Formation of arc in N. Streamers. Horizontal clouds of misty light.
About 7 P.M. my attention was drawn to a silvery brightness in the north-east. Above, and still more to the east, was a bright cloud of light, which looked dense and misty, and gave one the impression of an illuminated fog-cloud. The edges were so bright that the adjacent sky, but for the stars shining in it, might, by contrast, have been taken for a dark storm-cloud. The light-cloud expanded upwards until its apex became conical, and then moved rapidly from east, along the northern horizon, until it reached the due west, where it rested, and formed for some time a luminous spot in the sky. About the same time a long low arch of light formed along the northern horizon, having a brighter patch at each extremity; and these being higher in the sky, the arch and turned-up ends were in shape like a Tartar bow. This bow was permanent; and later on a cloud of rose-coloured light formed in the east, looking like the reflection of a distant fire. From the bow also shot up curved streamers of silver light towards the zenith, which at one time threatened to form a corona. This, however, did not happen, and the Aurora gradually faded away, until, when the moon rose about 8, a silver tinge in the east alone remained. I should also mention that fleecy horizontal clouds of misty light floated in the north above the bow across the streamers.