“On the lightshow in the night sky at the beginning of July” [1]

Due to the brilliant lightshow, which was observed in many regions of Middle Europe on the first nights of July of this year, and which made itself most noticeable on the nights of June 30th-July 1st and July 1st-2nd, the following communication was sent to the editors of Astronomische Nachrichten [Astronomical News]:

-- From Herr Professor Doctor L. Weber, Kiel, Physical Institute of [Kiel] University, 11 July 1908:

In the course of the last 14 days, the photographically recorded curves of magnetic declination showed no disturbance of the sort that usually accompanies the Northern Lights. But it should be noted that several times, and indeed all the time over several hours, there were observed small, regular, uninterrupted vibrations [of the magnetic-declination curves] of about a 2' amplitude and a 3m [=minute?] period, which could not be traced back to known causes (e.g., streetcar vibration). These as-yet unexplained disturbances took place:

• June 27-28 — 6:00 pm to 1:30 am

• June 28-29 — the same

• June 29-30 — 8:30 pm to 1:30 am

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