Meteorological Observations and Essays |
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I laughed, I cried, I shat myself. Would recommend.
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active angle appear arch atmosphere aurora aurora borealis barometer beams bodies bright cause centre circle circumstance clouds cold column consequently consider contain December decrease density determined direction distance earth's earth's surface east effect elevation equal essay experiments extreme fact faint fall fluid gauge given greater greatest heat height hence higher highest horizon inches increase January July June Kendal Keswick latitude less light lower magnetic March mean mentioned meridian miles months mountains nature nearly needle object observations October parallel phenomena Philosophical plane pole principles probably produced PROPOSITION quantity rain reason receiver relation respect rise seems seen side situate snow streamers supposed temperature thermometer thunder vapour variation whole winds winter yards zenith zone
Popular passages
Page 154 - SHERER and Ross and myself were admiring the extreme beauty of this phenomenon, from the observatory, we all simultaneously uttered an exclamation of surprise at seeing a bright ray of the aurora shoot suddenly downward from the general mass of light, and between us and the land, which was there distant only three thousand yards.
Page 54 - Every one gazed with astonishment, but the uncommon grandeur of the scene only lasted one minute ; the variety of colours disappeared, and the beams lost their lateral motion, and were converted into the flashing radiations.
Page 117 - ... fluid partaking of the properties of iron, or rather of magnetic steel ; and that this fluid, doubtless from its magnetic property, assumes the form of cylindrical beams.
Page 131 - In summer, after a long continuance of fair weather, with the barometer high, it generally falls gradually, and for one, two, or more days, before there is much appearance of rain. — If the fall be sudden and great for the season, it will probably be followed by thunder.
Page 70 - ... country varies according to the barometer, or otherwise that the height is little affected therewith, and that the whole or greatest part of the variation is occasioned by a change in the density of the lower regions of the air. It is very improbable that the height of the atmosphere should be subject to such fluctuations, or that it should be regulated in any other manner than by the weekly or monthly mean temperature of the lower regions; because the mean weight of the air is so nearly the...
Page 108 - As this essay contains an original discovery which seems to open a new field of inquiry in philosophy, or rather, perhaps, to extend the bounds of one that has been, as yet, but just opened, it may not, perhaps, be unacceptable to many readers to state briefly the train of circumstances which led the author to the important conclusions contained in the following pages.
Page 154 - ... yards. Had I witnessed this phenomenon by myself, I should have been disposed to receive, with caution, the evidence even of my own senses, as to this last fact ; but the appearance conveying precisely the same idea to three individuals at once, all intently engaged in looking towards the spot, I have no doubt that the ray of light actually passed within that distance of us.
Page 111 - The inference, therefore, was unavoidable that the beams were guided not by gravity, but by the earth's ' magnetism ' and the disturbance of the needle that had been heretofore observed during the time of an aurora seemed to put the conclusion past doubt.
Page 54 - At half-past ten o'clock streamers appeared, very low in the south-east, running to and fro from west to east ; they increased in number, and began to approach the zenith apparently with an accelerated velocity ; when all on a sudden the whole hemisphere was covered with...
Page 146 - Mr. Ellicott, at sea, off Cape Florida, was another spectator. "I was called up," he states, " about three o'clock in the morning to see the shooting stars, as they are called. The phenomenon was grand and awful. The whole heavens appeared as if illuminated with sky-rockets, which disappeared only by the light of the sun toward daybreak.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Meteorological Observations and Essays |
| Author | John Dalton |
| Edition | 2 |
| Publisher | Harrison & Crosfield, 1834 |
| Length | 244 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |