Show Aurora Borealis Varies White Green Red Purple The intrepid English and Dutch sailors who searched for the northwest northwest northwest north north- west passage a supposed water route around the northern end of North America failed in their main objective but nevertheless supplied scientific men with a wealth of meteorological meteorological meteorological me me- information The one phenomenon that most impressed them and one that has come to be regarded as typical of northern latitudes latitudes lati lati- tudes is the aurora borealis or northern lights observes a writer in the Chicago Tribune This is an unearthly display of light that appears in the sky at night It may be seen as far tar south as the northern part of the United States In the eastern hemisphere however however however how how- ever it is rarely seen farther south than the northern parts of Norway Sweden and Russia It usually appears appears ap LIp- ap- ap pears as one of several distinct patterns patterns patterns pat pat- terns of light It may be an arch the lower side of ot which is sharply defined with the upper gradually fading into darkness or the the lower edge instead of being arched may maybe maybe maybe be curved in irregular folds like the edge of a draped curtain Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times it takes the form of radiant beams which may seem to spiral upward toward an infinite point at atthe atthe atthe the zenith In color the aurora varies from pearly white to a pale green although although although al al- al- al though it has on occasion shown shades of red or purple It m may lY be easily the brightest object in the nocturnal sky or it may be barely visible It may last for only a few minutes or for many hours |