Show aurora borealis display clocked scientifically the unusual display of the aurora j borealis on the night of august 11 1939 visible over the northern portion of the united states and canada was scientifically clocked photographed and measured more completely than any other display that has occurred in many years reports to the national geographic society here indicate scientific observers pronounced it the most brilliant and extensive aurora of 1939 and one of the most striking in the past 10 years A three year study of auroras is is being made as a joint research project by the national geographic society and cornell university and has been in progress for nearly a year with observation station setups at ithaca hamilton and geneva N Y the stations are connected by direct telephone wires and during the exceedingly brilliant display of august 11 made numerous photographs simultaneously comparison of these exposures made many miles apart will make it possible to estimate with confide considerable 3 1 accuracy the heights above the earth of the various features of the display dr G W gartlein of the physics department of cornell university in charge of the operative cooperative co studies reported that at ithaca the illumination from the aurora was almost like full moonlight and that automobiles were driven without headlights he stated that the stations obtained more than photographs a score of them in natural color and POO 00 exposures with a motion picture camera he also made a number of spectrograms and was successful in I 1 obtaining an automatic photo elec record of brightness of the later portion of the display |