1719
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| Photo by Neal Brown (Fairbanks) |
Proof of the existence of the original, mythological gods (Hinduism, Dreamtime, Zoroastrianism, Biblical Judaism, Christianity), the ones who created and ruled the Cosmos before the metaphysicians reduced "Him" to a mere, an abstract philosophic concept (Talmudic Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Democracy, Psychology), and then the epistemologists wrapped him up in the language of pure mysticism (E=MC²), as in the Psalm below, from one of the liturgical texts of the modern religion of science (click here for the source); and note the extensive use of both assonance and alliteration, the modulated rhythms of the phrases - has anyone yet thought of setting this to music?):
The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are the result of electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. (Protons cause faint and diffuse aurora, usually not easily visible to the human eye.) The electrons are energized through acceleration processes in the downwind tail (night side) of the magnetosphere and at lower altitudes along auroral field lines. The accelerated electrons follow the magnetic field of Earth down to the Polar Regions where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in Earth’s upper atmosphere. In these collisions, the electrons transfer their energy to the atmosphere thus exciting the atoms and molecules to higher energy states. When they relax back down to lower energy states, they release their energy in the form of light. This is similar to how a neon light works. The aurora typically forms 80 to 500 km above Earth’s surface.
Earth’s magnetic field guides the electrons such that the aurora forms two ovals approximately centered at the magnetic poles. During major geomagnetic storms these ovals expand away from the poles such that aurora can be seen over most of the United States. Aurora comes in several different shapes. Often the auroral forms are made of many tall rays that look much like a curtain made of folds of cloth. During the evening, these rays can form arcs that stretch from horizon to horizon. Late in the evening, near midnight, the arcs often begin to twist and sway, just as if a wind were blowing on the curtains of light. At some point, the arcs may expand to fill the whole sky, moving rapidly and becoming very bright. This is the peak of what is called an auroral substorm.
Then in the early morning the auroral forms can take on a more cloud-like appearance. These diffuse patches often blink on and off repeatedly for hours, then they disappear as the sun rises in the east. The best place to observe the aurora is under an oval shaped region between the north and south latitudes of about 60 and 75 degrees. At these polar latitudes, the aurora can be observed more than half of the nights of a given year.
When space weather activity increases and more frequent and larger storms and substorms occur, the aurora extends equatorward. During large events, the aurora can be observed as far south as the US, Europe, and Asia. During very large events, the aurora can be observed even farther from the poles. Of course, to observe the aurora, the skies must be clear and free of clouds. It must also be dark so during the summer months at auroral latitudes, the midnight sun prevents auroral observations.
To which let us say "Amen".
(The "green photo" is the Australis version; watch an absolutely phemomenal - yes, I choose my words very deliberately - an absolutely phemomenal video here)
The "first recorded display" of Aurora Borealis, in the United States anyway, in New England as it happens, took place today in 1719. And obviously no previous sighting counts. Not even the one that inspired the illustration below, known as "Macaronis" and carbon-dated to around 30,000 BCE, the so-called Cro-Magnon period, the start of the Mythological Age.
Not even the recorded sighting, in 2600 BCE, by Fu-Pao, the mother of the Chinese Emperor Shuan-Yuan, who "saw strong lightning moving around the star Su, which belongs to the constellation of Bei-Dou, and the light illuminated the whole area." Not even the 1570 CE drawing of the aurora, which looks rather more like someone's birthday cake or possibly a set of perpendicular paintbrushes than a scientific illustration, but the artist, known as Anonymous, clearly intended the aurora by giving that name to the drawing.
Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. Galileo Galilei named the phenomenon "aurora borealis" in 1619, wrongly believing that the auroras he had seen were due to sunlight reflecting from the atmosphere. Other than this 1570 drawing, and possibly a leap of faith or a night-time vision, it is not obvious where Galileo saw the Aurora Borealis, as there has not yet been any (recorded) physical sighting of the phenomenon in Italy.
And an update, on October 11 2024, the first time, in my knowledge anyway, that the inhabitants of Greater London have been able to look out of their window and see what should only be visible from the North Pole, not the North Circular Road: the photo adjacent comes with thanks to my niece in Watford.
Amber pages
David Brewster, Scottish physicist and inventor of that human imitation of the Borealis, the kaleidoscope, born today in 1781
Hector Berlioz, French composer (inter alia, of that Aurora Borealis of music, the "Symphonie Fantastique"), born today in 1803
Alfred de Musset, French poet, born today in 1810
Robert Koch, German pioneer bacteriologist, born today in 1843
Anaesthesia first used in dentistry, today in 1844
King Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, today in 1936; and thank whichever of the gods that you do or don't believe in that he did, because Edward supported Hitler, very loudly and very publicly, supported appeasement and advocated for a British alliance with Nazi Germany: imagine what Tuesday meetings with the PM would have been like, commencing in the late autumn of 1939, if Edward and not George had been the "His" of "His Majesty's Government". "Sieg Heil Your Majesty!"
UNICEF established, today in 1946. And for that too, a most atheist, a most humanist, Amen
UNICEF established, today in 1946. And for that too, a most atheist, a most humanist, Amen
(And what did they achieve? In one sense, the predictable "absolutely nothing", because politicians require weapons in order to fight wars, because politicians need adversaries and enemies in order to have something they can campaign for power about. But they drew attention to the presence of these monstrous weapons on British soil; drew attention to Britain's status as a dependent state - sorry, a state with a "special relationship" - and they did a great deal more to ennoble their own lives than housewifery or secretarying. God bless them!)
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