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Mr. J. R. Capron’s Aurora, Oct. 24, 1870. Silver glow in north. Phosphorescent cloud-streamers. Crimson masses on horizon. Coloured streamers. Corona formed. Aurora fades away.

The description, from my notes made at the time of this fine display, is as follows:—“Last evening (October 24) the Aurora Borealis was again most beautifully seen here (Guildford). At 6 P.M. indications of the coming display were visible in the shape of a bright silver glow in the north, which contrasted strongly with the opposite dark horizon. For two hours this continued, with the addition from time to time of a crimson glow in the north-east, and of streamers of opaque-white phosphorescent cloud, shaped like horse-tails (very different from the more common transparent auroral diverging streams of light), which floated upwards and across the sky from east and west to the zenith. At about 8 o’clock the display culminated; and few observers, I should think, ever saw a more lovely sky-picture. Two patches of intense crimson light about this time massed themselves on the north-east and north-west horizon, the sky between having a bright silver glow. The crimson masses became more attenuated as they mounted upwards; and from them there suddenly ran up bars or streamers of crimson and gold light, which, as they rose, curved towards each other in the north, and, ultimately meeting, formed a glorious arch of coloured light, having at its apex an oval white luminous corona or cloud of similar character to the phosphorescent clouds previously described, but brighter. At this time the spectator appeared to be looking at the one side of a cage composed of glowing red and gold bars, which extended from the distant parts of the horizon to a point over his head. Shortly after this the Auroral display gradually faded away, and at 9 o’clock the sky was of its usual appearance, except that the ordinary tint seemed to have more of indigo, probably by contrast with the marvellous colours which had so lately shone upon it.”

T. F.’s description of same at Torquay. Mr. Gibbs’s report in London.

T. F., describing the same Aurora from Torquay, says it showed itself at sundown, attained its maximum at 8, and lasted until 11. At 8 o’clock more than half the visible heavens was one sea of colour; the general ground greenish yellow and pale rose, with extensive shoals of deep rose in the east and west; while from the north, streaming upwards to and beyond the zenith, were tongues and brushes of rosy red, so deep that the sky between looked black. Mr. Gibbs reported that in London, at about 8 o’clock, brilliant crimson rays shot up to the zenith, and the sky seemed one mass of fire.

A facsimile of my water-colour sketch of this fine discharge is given on Plate III.

Plate III.