scholarly journals An Early Low Latitude Aurora Observed by Rozier (Beziers, 1780)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Bertolin ◽  
Fernando Domínguez-Castro ◽  
Lavinia de Ferri

Abstract. Aurorae Observations are an uncommon phenomenon at low latitudes that, at the end of the 18th century was not well known and understood. Low latitude Aurorae observations provide information about episodes of intense solar storms associated with flares and outstanding coronal mass ejection (CME) and on the variation of the geomagnetic field. However, for many observers at low latitude, the features of a northern light were unknown, so he could easily report it as a phenomenon without explanation. In this work, we found that an earlier low latitude aurora was observed in Beausejour, close to Beziers (43°53' N, 3°35' E), France, by the abbot Francois Rozier. He was a meticulous botanist, doctor and agronomist with special interest in atmospheric phenomena. On 15 August 1780, from 20:05 to 20:17 (Universal Time), Francois Rozier observed a phosphoric cloud. A careful analysis of the report points out that he was reporting an auroral event. The recovery of auroral events at low latitude during the 1780's is very useful to shed light to the solar activity during this period because there are few records of sunspot observations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1139-1147
Author(s):  
Chiara Bertolin ◽  
Fernando Domínguez-Castro ◽  
Lavinia de Ferri

Abstract. Aurora observations are an uncommon phenomenon at low and mid latitudes that, at the end of the 18th century, were not well known and understood. Low and mid geomagnetic latitude aurora observations provide information about episodes of intense solar storms associated with flares and outstanding coronal mass ejection (CME) and about the variation of the geomagnetic field. However, for many observers at mid and low latitudes, the features of a northern light were unknown, so they could easily report it as a phenomenon without explanation. In this work, we found that an earlier mid geomagnetic latitude aurora was observed in Beauséjour, close to Béziers (43∘19′ N, 3∘13′ E), France, by the abbot François Rozier. He was a meticulous botanist, doctor and agronomist with a special interest in atmospheric phenomena. On 15 August 1780, from 19:55 to 20:07 (Universal Time), François Rozier observed a “phosphoric cloud”. A careful analysis of the report indicates that he was reporting an auroral event. The recovery of auroral events at low and mid latitude during the 1780s is very useful for shedding light on solar activity during this period because there are few records of sunspot observations.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S254) ◽  
pp. 121-126
Author(s):  
Jelte T. A. de Jong ◽  
Brian Yanny ◽  
Hans-Walter Rix ◽  
Eric F. Bell ◽  
Andrew E. Dolphin

AbstractEncircling the Milky Way at low latitudes, the Low Latitude Stream is a large stellar structure, the origin of which is as yet unknown. As part of the SEGUE survey, several photometric scans have been obtained that cross the Galactic plane, spread over a longitude range of 50° to 203°. These data allow a systematic study of the structure of the Galaxy at low latitudes, where the Low Latitude Stream resides. We apply colour-magnitude diagram fitting techniques to map the stellar (sub)structure in these regions, enabling the detection of overdensities with respect to smooth models. These detections can be used to distinguish between different models of the Low Latitude Stream, and help to shed light on the nature of the system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 940 (10) ◽  
pp. 2-6
Author(s):  
J.A. Younes ◽  
M.G. Mustafin

The issue of calculating the plane rectangular coordinates using the data obtained by the satellite observations during the creation of the geodetic networks is discussed in the article. The peculiarity of these works is in conversion of the coordinates into the Mercator projection, while the plane coordinate system on the base of Gauss-Kruger projection is used in Russia. When using the technology of global navigation satellite system, this task is relevant for any point (area) of the Earth due to a fundamentally different approach in determining the coordinates. The fact is that satellite determinations are much more precise than the ground coordination methods (triangulation and others). In addition, the conversion to the zonal coordinate system is associated with errors; the value at present can prove to be completely critical. The expediency of using the Mercator projection in the topographic and geodetic works production at low latitudes is shown numerically on the basis of model calculations. To convert the coordinates from the geocentric system with the Mercator projection, a programming algorithm which is widely used in Russia was chosen. For its application under low-latitude conditions, the modification of known formulas to be used in Saudi Arabia is implemented.


1999 ◽  
Vol 104 (A1) ◽  
pp. 305-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lepidi ◽  
P. Francia ◽  
U. Villante ◽  
L. J. Lanzerotti ◽  
A. Meloni

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 893-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
◽  

Abstract. Sometimes the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) is significantly enhanced during low geomagnetic activities before storms. In this article, we investigate the characteristics of those interesting TEC enhancements using regional and global TEC data. We analyzed the low-latitude TEC enhancement events that occurred around longitude 120° E on 10 February 2004, 21 January 2004, and 4 March 2001, respectively. The TEC data are derived from regional Global Positioning System (GPS) observations in the Asia/Australia sector as well as global ionospheric maps (GIMs) produced by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Strong enhancements under low geomagnetic activity before the storms are simultaneously presented at low latitudes in the Asia/Australia sector in regional TEC and JPL GIMs. These TEC enhancements are shown to be regional events with longitudinal and latitudinal extent. The regions of TEC enhancements during these events are confined at narrow longitude ranges around longitude 120° E. The latitudinal belts of maxima of enhancements locate around the northern and southern equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crests, which are consistent with those low-latitude events presented by Liu et al. (2008). During the 4 March 2001 event, the total plasma density Ni observed by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft F13 at 840 km altitude are of considerably higher values on 4 March than on the previous day in the TEC enhanced regions. Some TEC enhancement events are possibly due to contributions from auroral/magnetospheric origins; while there are also quasi-periodic enhancement events not related to geomagnetic activity and associated probably with planetary wave type oscillations (e.g. the 6 January 1998 event). Further investigation is warrented to identify/separate contributions from possible sources.


2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-157
Author(s):  
Vladimir Milisavljevic

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on different aspects of the hermeneutical problem in post-Kantian philosophical 'constellation'. In this domain, the problem of the relationship between the text and its commentary is theorized in terms of the antithesis between 'Spirit' and 'Letter', which clearly has religious roots. Therefore, the first part of the paper examines the historical origins of this antithesis, as well as its application in philosophical discussions which developed by the end of the 18th century about the problem of finding the 'true' interpretation to Kant's philosophy. The second part of the text, which is to be published in the next issue of this review, brings the duality of spiritual and literal interpretation into closer connection with the topics of Kant's moral philosophy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 1259-1271
Author(s):  
Nikolay A. Samoylov ◽  
◽  
Dmitriy I. Mayatskiy ◽  

This article explores the Chinese historical and ethnographic work of the second half of the 18th century “Illustrated tributaries of the Qing Empire” (“Huangqing zhigongtu”). This book provides rich material for a systematic analysis of the views of the Chinese about European countries during the reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). Twenty eight images and descriptions of a number of European nations — Russians, Poles, Hungarians, Swedes, the English, the Dutch, etc. — which were found in the book, have been identified, classified, and analyzed. A range of issues and problems related to the content of the descriptions has been established and compared with the illustrations from the book. The article pays particular attention to identifying and explaining the anthropological and socio-cultural stereotypes that shaped the image of Europeans in China. The authors of this paper have found out that due to Catholic missionaries the Chinese compilers of “Huangqing zhigongtu” must have had enough information about Europe in the first part of the Qing period. Nevertheless, they made a large number of mistakes when describing the geographical location of several nations and relations between some of them. They also misunderstood some habits, traditions or anthropological features of their inhabitants. On the other hand, the compilers were more accurate and precise with regard to political and trade activities of the Europeans in China or near its frontier. Studying the “Huangqing zhigongtu” can shed light not only on important factors that formed the general picture of the Chinese worldview, but also contribute to a better understanding of motives that determined the foreign policy of the Qing Empire.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.G. Rastogi ◽  
H. Chandra ◽  
Rahul Shah ◽  
N.B. Trivedi ◽  
S.L. Fontes

The paper describes the characteristics of the equatorial electrojet at Huancayo (HUA, 12.1oS, 75.3oW, inclination 1.5oN, declination 1.0oE) in western side of South America, where the geomagnetic field is aligned almost along the geographic meridian, and at Itinga (ITI, 4.3oS, 47.oW, inclination 1.4oN, declination 19.3oW) in eastern part of South America, where the geomagnetic field is aligned about 19o west of the geographic meridian; although the mean intensity of the magnetic field in the two regions are almost of the same order. Further comparisons are made of the current at Itinga and at Tatuoca (TTB, 1.2oS, 48.5oW, inclination 7.8o N, declination 18.7oW), a low latitude station in the same longitude sector. The daily range of horizontal component of the geomagnetic field, H, is shown to be almost 16% higher at HUA compared to that at ITI. The daily variation of the eastward field, Y, showed a strong minimum of -40 nT around 13-14 hr LT at ITI whereas very low values were observed at HUA with a positive peak of about 4 nT around 11- 12 hr LT. The vertical field, Z, showed abnormally large negative values of -70 nT at TTB around 13 hr LT. The day-today fluctuations of midday and midnight values of X field were positively correlated between HUA and ITI with a high correlation coefficient of 0.78 and 0.88 respectively. Values of Y field were also significantly positively correlated between HUA and ITI for midnight hours (0.72), while no correlation was observed for the midday hours. The midnight values of X field at HUA, ITI and TTB showed significant (0.90 or greater) correlation with Dst index. Correlation values of about 0.7 were observed between Dst and midday values of X at ITI and TTB and to a lesser degree (0.4) at HUA.


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