Remarks are frequent of the brightness of stars as seen through Auroræ. Payer, of the Austrian Expedition, remarks that falling stars passed through the Aurora without producing any perceptible effect or undergoing any change.
Aurora of Oct. 24, 1870, and Jupiter.
A grand display of the Aurora took place 24th October, 1870. About this time the belts of Jupiter were observed to be highly coloured. As observed by me on the night of November 2, 1870, at 9 P.M., with an 8¼-in. Browning reflector, achromatic eyepieces 144, 305, and 450, the equatorial zone was of a distinctly dark ochre colour, deepening to red-brown as it approached the lower (N.) edge. Two thin belts above were slate-purple, and a darker belt below was of a deep purple colour.
According to Lassell and others, Jupiter’s belts exhibit the brightest colours at period of Auroræ.
Lassell, Proctor, and others have reported Jupiter’s belts to exhibit the brightest colours at the period of Auroræ. Mr. Browning gives a drawing of Jupiter as seen on January 31, 1870 (a year noted for Auroræ), with the belts brightly coloured. The finest view of Jupiter I ever had was on the 8th February, 1872 (a fine Aurora was on the 4th), when, with the 8¼-inch Browning reflector, I saw the whole surface of the planet (by glimpses) cloud-mottled. The equatorial belt was, however, then slightly tinted only. In Dr. Miles’s observation (p. 66) he does not seem to have noticed the colouring of Jupiter’s belts.
Infrequency of Auroræ and lightness in tint of Jupiter’s belts.
The three past years, 1876, 1877, and 1878, have been distinguished by the infrequency of Auroræ; and Jupiter’s equatorial zone and belts have been mainly reported of light tints.
The subject apparently deserves more attention than it has hitherto received.
The Aurora and the Zodiacal Light.
The Aurora and the Zodiacal Light. Ångström’s observation on spectrum.