A Letter from the Rev. Henry Miles, D. D. and F. R. S. to Henry Baker, F. R. S. concerning anAurora Borealis Seen Jan. 23. 1750-51Author(s): Henry MilesSource: Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), Vol. 46 (1749 - 1750), pp. 346-348Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/104658 .

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XIV. X Leser from tbe Rev. EJenry Miles9 D. D. ancl F. R.S. zo Henry Baker, F. R. S. concerrirg ax Aurora Borealis Jeer Jar* 23 I750 SI

Sevr Sir, 284gFeb.22. nN leJy, 43d of yangarJY laFf, I

I749* < ^S called OUtX about Six in the EveninCX to fee a Arange Appearance in the Sky, in the WeLl. SufpcAirzg it to be an ordinarySgrora, L did not nake gteat Hafte-\Mhen I carne out, I fasY a Cloud (llot large) of an obrcure- red Cowour, but much deeper than any I had cvcr feetl bcfore svhicllX I sxtas informed, r3fe from thc S. NV. it ?as tllen advancing apace to the N. E. and q;lick.y reachecl the Zetlith, wllen, it bein , intercepted by the Houf¢> I hallened to tlle other Front,rhicll regards the :NF E. by xxJIlicll tirne tllere appeared a luminous Zonc) about txle Breadtlu of tlle GaiaxntX its Edgcs regulatsy defincd, compafl111 tllc HeLllifphere, from tl}c Horizoll in tlne

Nt. E, to the Zcnit'll) in the farne D^reEtion, in x^tlicll t'ne above-mentioned Clou;d hatl paSc-d (as far as I aNCr itS Courf) frorn the S. \Rr- Tlle Colour xvas l5sltlCts faintcr at^sd morw ll.nzinous, rcfttllbliil:, thc uEuat Colour of all Harora, and thc Laaniz or Streamcrs foon up?2<eC4.- lupon tlaisX not lcinz sxell f.llccd aoiuinft tlac \Ni indX sxt'lui<:ll blcxm brisls, I wcnt in, to purfuc nzy IntenLion of sTiewi1za tle two l)eautiful PlatleLs, 7Z.piter and Fas.s, nvitlu a rcdeEt- in:, TeleCccpc) 1tlzaue bt ll1y irl;,cnio.ls Friend INIr. Sbsrt of Sz{;*re-JYraet (tlle rrc1.tcEttmd ,nit?ill;,PoNser or sYhic;< is about 200 Timaes,; alld dfierZI llad

X iewed

[ 346]

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[ 347 ] viewed them to my SatisfaftionX and fncwcd ttlen to fomve FriendsX when I was about to put up thz Infirvment, a CloudX of ruear the Size of tllc firrt, but not fo deep a Coiour, appcarecl, riSllg up frt)n the S. W. whiclo procccdcd ill a Line witla tllc Planets, and, in a little time, i-urroulld-2d iJoth: 7Zengs appearing fcill, to the rlakcd Ewen in 11>r f;ull Luitre, I imnacdiatcly vic5red her witil thc TelcEcopc, xvithout altering the 0aB3> and faw her mucil more dlRinEtly tlaan crer I 11-d done, on tllat Evcnin,, or on any othcr, and of tlae lame C)pinion svcrc a11 lr.y Friends as to the Siqht thcy had of l,eA, on tllat Oc- cafion: We all faw her Spots plain, reLernbling tllOre

in the Moon ; which I waS ncver fo happy as tO lsaSc a Sigllt of before-and this, wllile tile Cloud fccnined tO furaoulld it, as nlucll as tver: 13ut wllcther t;sC Vapour migllt lJe rcally rarer ncar tnc Piarlct, tllrk it was at fonne Difiancc, no Judrt,metat could be made, becau6c of her tOO powerful lLigllt.

Many have obServed the fixcd S;tars to appcnr ttlroX the Vapour with an ux1ditnini{5iacd LiOht oRcntir^es: And our grcat Dr. Halley tells us, in lwis A^ccolint of tlaat remarkable J#ror42 szhictll was {ecn in GYzarcAJl, 17Iy-I6. that l1e obEerved " otze of the La}SgSB zc pafs flccc4tlvely ovel all the Stars of thC litiC Bar, <' wit'nout efficing thz fmallcr ont-s, in tne Tai!, oir <' the nftl1 MaJnitude; fuch svas the extremc ltarity <' and Pcrfpicuit) of thz ̂ Mat.er wilcreof it conf;tted.'3 cfhi>t zranJ: No 3a, 7-

I had the Honotlr this MScek to rccci ve a Lctecr fro.n Dr. &barz of SX3ef elS, the Authot of an Account of fe.?eral t4cteors, in the Phi. Erv?J: No aryg. in

whicll ho faSls; Thz 3d p^fi> t Six at 'ighr, the

5 $ lr y

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[ 348 ] '¢ Sky being overclouded, all the Clouds onZcr thc < HemiEphere, turned of a fuddcn to a deepPblood- " red Colour, fbr fifteen Minutes; thcn fuccceded red '¢ Streamers for half an Hour."

iSootings Feb. I6, I amyor, and tffie X 749'5°¢

RoyaV Soriety's, mofl abedient Servant

H. MILES. __

XE7. X Letter froun Mr. WiIliam Wtatfon, * R. S. o the Royal Society, decZarioq>^

that he as goell as many others hve sat bge, able zo tnake Odours pgfs zAro' Glafs Ay zeans of Eledricity ; attd gtvirg a parti- cular Sccoust of Profor Bofie at Wittem- berg his En¢teroment of Beatifiation, ar ca?Mfng a Glory to appear rovrdl a 0/1atJ Head by Eledricity.

G E N T L E 1NI E>1f,

Reczd Mar. I. rTv H E Inquiry ilatO the Ntature and I749-50. I Propcrties of Elcdricity has becll)

within theSc fcsr Years, thz Purfuit of lllany exctL- lent alld ingcniolls Pcrfons; and tnoLt of itS extraor- dinary Phznomeilat whicll Ilaste been lllade to appcar in one Place, hase, *rith propcr Attention tQ tlle requiElte (;ilFcumErances} appeared in ohcrs: 13ut

tllci^e

[ 348 ] '¢ Sky being overclouded, all the Clouds onZcr thc < HemiEphere, turned of a fuddcn to a deepPblood- " red Colour, fbr fifteen Minutes; thcn fuccceded red '¢ Streamers for half an Hour."

iSootings Feb. I6, I amyor, and tffie X 749'5°¢

RoyaV Soriety's, mofl abedient Servant

H. MILES. __

XE7. X Letter froun Mr. WiIliam Wtatfon, * R. S. o the Royal Society, decZarioq>^

that he as goell as many others hve sat bge, able zo tnake Odours pgfs zAro' Glafs Ay zeans of Eledricity ; attd gtvirg a parti- cular Sccoust of Profor Bofie at Wittem- berg his En¢teroment of Beatifiation, ar ca?Mfng a Glory to appear rovrdl a 0/1atJ Head by Eledricity.

G E N T L E 1NI E>1f,

Reczd Mar. I. rTv H E Inquiry ilatO the Ntature and I749-50. I Propcrties of Elcdricity has becll)

within theSc fcsr Years, thz Purfuit of lllany exctL- lent alld ingcniolls Pcrfons; and tnoLt of itS extraor- dinary Phznomeilat whicll Ilaste been lllade to appcar in one Place, hase, *rith propcr Attention tQ tlle requiElte (;ilFcumErances} appeared in ohcrs: 13ut

tllci^e

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