New Hampshire Statesman And Concord Register

From the Troy Sentinel of August 31.

REMARKABLE PHENOMENON.

On Tuesday evening, about 10 o'clock, the attention of our citizens was attracted by the most singular and splendid appearance in the heavens that has probably ever been witnessed in this latitude. It was an arch of light, which completely spanned the sky, from the eastern to the western horizon, a very little south of our zenith. The light was very bright, but yet so mild and silvery as not to pain the eye at all, which rested on it with wonder and admiration. Perhaps we cannot convey a more adequate conception of the aspect of the arch, than by saying that it resembled a vast roll of white wool strongly illuminated, and about the size of a large winrow of hay as it lies in the meadow ready to be rolled into hay-cocks. Its direction was just about east and west, and the first formation of it took place about fifteen minutes before ten. Just before the arch was thrown across the heavens, a luminous mass apparently of vapor, was seen in the east, then another was seen in the west, and very quickly after the arch seemed to rise from each till it was united over head, and rested at each end on the two luminous spots already mentioned. The completion of the arch took place just about ten, and it was at first apparently stationary: but soon it visibly, though very slowly and regularly through its whole extent, moved southward. In about thirty minutes the continuity of the eastern segment of the arch was broken at very short intervals, leaving along the line which it had occupied, bright flakes of vapor, which remained a few minutes and vanished. In the mean time the western segment of the arch remained entire, and continued to move slowly southward, till, at the distance of about thirty or forty degrees from our zenith, it disappeared.

Such was the appearance to our eyes, as near as we can describe it. It was a splendid spectacle, and was, according to our observation, plainly connected with the unusually brilliant Aurora Borealis which illuminated the northern quarter of the heavens the whole evening. The appearance of the arch we suppose to have been occasioned, after the manner of the rainbow, by the reflection of the light of the Aurora from the vapor of which the atmosphere was full, though it was very equally diffused and not dense enough to obscure a single star, or do more than just soften their rays. It was first seen a little south of our zenith; as the light of the Aurora, which flowed out for the most part in a succession of waves, spread higher and higher above the horizon, the arch was seen further and further to the south; and the western portion of the arch was visibly longest, because the eastern quarter of the Aurora continued longest bright, all which was as it should have been, if the cause assigned be the true one. The flowing motion along the line of the arch must have been owing to a gentle current in the air, giving a slight motion to the vapor, the whole of which was doubtless moving in the same manner and direction, though none of it was visible except that narrow tract which was illuminated.

AURORA BOREALIS.

A beautiful spectacle appeared in the heavens on Tuesday evening Aug. 28, about 10 o'clock. It was a belt of light apparently of several yards in width, spanning the heavens from the North West to the South West. It is supposed by some not to have been the Aurora Borealis, on account of its form and extent. Such an appearance of it however has been noticed several times within the last seventy years.

There was a similar exhibition of the Northern Lights, one night near the close of the Revolutionary war. An aged person who gave us an account of it, said, its appearance was so terrific that some supposed it announced the near approach of the judgment day. One old lady betook herself for advice and consolation to her worthy Deacon, Mr. P. "Sir," said she, "do you think the last day has come." "Pish, Pish, good woman, don't you see it is now night, of course the last day has not come." "Why did I not think of that, Deacon. To be sure, it can't be so." The old lady went home completely relieved from her fears, at least for that night, and the worthy deacon, for this answer obtained the reputation of a wise man, which lasted him to the end of his days.

The English Philosophical Journals contain accounts of several, which have attracted attention in Europe. The description given of the one seen in England, Oct. 30th, 1769 is quite interesting.

"About 7 o'clock in the evening, an Aurora Borealis made its appearance in the N. E. part of the horizon, which, in about half an hour, formed itself into an arch to S. W. and continued till near 9 o'clock, at which time the different streams of light flew towards the centre and formed a circle, whence a most glorious light displayed itself of different colors, like shades of the rainbow. It was rather terrible in its appearance, as that part of the heavens, where it first appeared, as also on the S. W. seemed as if on fire, whence streams issued of a very deep red, like to blood, many of which did not appear, till about 1 o'clock. The evening was very calm, and the stars shone with uncommon brightness. It was seen on the 24th and several nights afterwards. A gentleman, just arrived from Portugal, saw it on the coast of Spain. It was likewise visible in France, Holland and Scotland."

Another one was seen in England, in the month of February, 1817, and we are informed, in the description of it, that the stars shone very brightly during the whole time, through the clouds, which formed the Aurora Borealis. The stars were visible through the belt noticed on Tuesday evening.

Salem Observer.