Show BALLOON ASCENSIONS of 24 MILES MILES the last century many attempts D DURING have been made to reach and chart the boundary of the earths earth's atmosphere About the year 1912 a record ascent was made in England England England Eng Eng- land by a pilot balloon from Theodo Theodo- lite observations from the ground showed that it reached the extraordinary height of feet which is equal to about 24 miles or more than four times the height of Mount Everest Scientists however did not rest satisfied with this knowle knowledge Ige but pushed forward their r researches researches re- re searches attacking the problem by another method meth- meth od described by a writer in The London Mail r rIn In the vacuum tube used in physical laboratories a glow is produced by the passage of electric discharges discharges dis- dis charges through rarified gases and there is strong reason for believing that the beautiful l laurora aurora of northern latitudes is is' isa a similar phenomenon phe- phe phet t though on a far grander scale It is therefore highly probable that the presen Ares pres- en ence enoe e of an aurora in the sky also denotes the th k presence of rarefied gases at the same altitude altitude- js In a recent issue of Nature it is announce announcer l T that Dr Carl Stormer has completed a series of 1 careful measurements of the heights of different a parts of aurora ak From the ends of a milo 40 base line he too in simultaneous photos of the tips of the aurora ll streamers Calculations from the measured ti tilt l lof of the cameras show that these streamers extend extend a 0 upward to very great heights the greatest t altitude altitude alti- alti tude observed being miles miles or or 65 times the th height of Everest |