The aurora borealis is a wonderful light seen in the sky in high
latitudes, and less frequently in other parts of the world--except
during the activity of the sun-spots.

It appears as irregular patches and dancing columns of light which flame
across the sky. Red, white, pale green--these shafts are now dim, now
bright, seeming to throb and pulse as they glow and pale. As you watch
them they change their form, and, from being pillars of fire, change to
masses of glowing color.

A flash-light dancing across the sky gives you some, though a very poor
notion, of an aurora. The aurora has thousands of such flashes of light,
changing form and color as you watch them--filmy shafts of light, coming
you know not whence.

The spots on the sun are described as being dark patches which are
visible on the bright surface of the sun. They often appear in groups,
and frequently the larger spots will break up into smaller ones. They
are great depressions or holes in the surface of the sun, and are
supposed to be formed by descending currents of gases.

Sun-spots are generally found in the neighborhood of the sun's equator,
and last from a few hours to a few months.

The presence of these spots has enabled scientists to prove that the
sun, like the earth, revolves on its axis.

The last period of activity for sun-spots was in 1893, and, according to
the eleven-year theory, there should be few, if any, at this time. Prof.
Garret P. Serviss, however, tells us that at times during the quiet