1-158-391 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, curtain form, 1839 (1872). Observed at Bossekop, Norway, 19 January 1839. Aurorae are caused by the interaction of the particles in the solar wind with the Earth's magnetic field. The phenomenon is most visible in polar regions but in times of intense solar activity can be seen at lower latitudes as well. From The Forces of Nature by Amedee Guillemin. (London, 1872).