The Auroral “Meteoric Phenomena” of November 17, 1882

Abstract

IF Dr. Groneman has established the fact that the spindleshaped beam from every point of observation appeared moving in a straight line, that is an important point gained; but I fail to gather from his letter on p. 388 that there is clear evidence of this. He cites S. H. Saxby as one observer in favour of this, but his description appears to me very ambiguous. When he says, “Its trajectory was much flatter than that of the stars,” what stars does he mean? If he means the stars at the same declination as that of the beam, viz. about 10° S., then a great circle undoubtedly would be flatter, but still more would a small circle having its centre at the magnetic pole. On the other hand, H. D. Taylor writing from near York describes the path of the beam us from south-east to south-west, thus making it a small circle curved in the wrong direction for an auroral arch.