The First Discoveries Of Astronomical Winds
Abstract Often the mistakes we make in the interpretation of observed phenomena lead to fascinating creations. In Scotland the aurorae were called “The Merry Dancers,” whereas people of ancient China may have associated them with “flying dragons.” Some Scandinavians thought aurorae to be the ghosts...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | unknown |
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Oxford University PressNew York, NY
2004
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195130546.003.0001 https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/52330254/isbn-9780195130546-book-part-1.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract Often the mistakes we make in the interpretation of observed phenomena lead to fascinating creations. In Scotland the aurorae were called “The Merry Dancers,” whereas people of ancient China may have associated them with “flying dragons.” Some Scandinavians thought aurorae to be the ghosts of dead maidens, and in Greenland the indigenous people believed them to be the spirits of stillborn children playing ball. The development of a crude understanding of the aurorae during the 19th century and first decades of the 20th century resulted in the realization that the Sun ejects material reaching the Earth at speeds of many hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers per second. Often the material causing a spectacular aurora is ejected in a pulse rather than continuously. |
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