THE GREAT AURORA OF 1859.
(To the Editor.)
Sir.-
Having seen the phenomena on 25th last, a short recital of the great aurora of fifty years ago might be interesting. I was gold-digging at Rokewood, about four miles from Rokewood township (Victoria). Myself and two mates looking out of the tent saw a great reflection in the southern heavens at about 7 o'clock p.m., and in about half an hour, a scene of almost unspeakable beauty presented itself, lights of every imaginable color were issuing from the southern heavens, one color fading away only to give place to another if possible more beautiful than the last, the streams mounting to the zenith, but always becoming a rich purple when reaching there, and always curling round, leaving a clear strip of sky, which may be described as four fingers held at arm's length. The northern side from the zenith was also illuminated with beautiful colors, always curling round at the zenith, but were considered to be merely a reproduction of the southern display, as all colors south and north always corresponded. It was a sight never to be forgotten, and was considered at the time to be the greatest aurora recorded... The rationalist and pantheist saw nature in her most exquisite robes, recognising, the divine immanence, immutable law, cause, and effect...

— Yours, etc.,
C. F. HERBERT.
No. 1 Dangan-street

(From The Daily News, Perth, WA Friday, 10/08/1909)

For those in the darkness have seen a great light.

---

The first piece gets its title from Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Oxen.” I stacked the melodic phrases of “Away In A Manger” into sustained chord clusters, held my electric toothbrush up to my electric guitar, and listened.

The second piece is inspired by accounts of the “Carrington Event,” the most severe solar storm on record (1859). The movements are built around sound recordings taken by satellites of another severe solar explosion interacting with the earth’s magnetic field.