Aurora Islands
Encyclopedia
The Aurora Islands was a group of three phantom island
s first reported in 1762 by the Spanish merchant ship Aurora while sailing from Lima
to Cádiz
. The Aurora's officers reported sighting them again in 1774. The Spanish ship San Miguel fixed their location at 52°37'S, 47°49'W. On 20 February 1794, they were sighted again by a Spanish survey ship, the corvette Atrevida
, which as part of the Alejandro Malaspina circumnavigation had been sent to confirm them. Their reported location was approximately half way between the Falkland Islands
and South Georgia at 53°S 48°W. The latitude is considered perfect, the longitude was based on the meridian of the astronomical observatory, San Fernando, Cádiz. The islands were last sighted in 1856, but continued to appear on maps of the South Atlantic until the 1870s.
It is possible that the Aurora islands were discovered by Amerigo Vespucci
in his 1501/1502 voyage with a Portuguese expedition. In his "Lettera" of 1504, his most detailed note, he states that he left the coast of Brazil from Cabo Frío and followed the path of the Sirocco south-east covering 500 leagues (about 3000 kilometres) by sea down to 50ºS
or 52ºS
. The probability is confirmed by Vice-Admiral Ernesto Basilico in The Third Voyage of Amerigo Vespucci (Buenos Aires
, 1967) and by Lt-Cdr Barreiro Meiro (General Journal of Navy, October 1968, Madrid
). In latitude 52ºS Vespucci discovered an island 20 leagues (118 kilometres) long:
The only large islands in 52ºS latitude were the as then undiscovered Falklands/Malvinas
, but Vespucci's description does not fit the Falklands, whose low-lying coasts are full of coves for shelter and are not "wild". 3 April is not winter but the first month of autumn and a night of fifteen hours duration implies a mysterious shift of the sun: furthermore sailors would not find the cold intolerable at that season of the year in 52ºS. The suggestion of aberrant conditions accompanying a fierce storm is typical of a number of phantom islands, particularly St Brendan's Island.
In an effort to explain the persistent reports of sightings over the century from 1762, mid-ocean atmospheric peculiarities, optical illusion
s or even a massive iceberg have been suggested. Another idea is that the Aurora Islands are the Shag Rocks, and the name Islas Aurora is used in Spanish for them. For this to be plausible, however, it would require all the various reporting navigators to have mistaken six small rocks of no greater altitude than 70 metres for three islands, for their ships to have wandered 160 miles off course towards South Georgia, and for the navigators not to have recognised the fact.
They are the subject of a 2001 novel entitled Hippolyte's Island, by Barbara Hodgson, during which they are rediscovered by the book's protagonist. In an episode in Edgar Allan Poe
's novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
, Pym and his crewmates search for but fail to find them.
Phantom island
Phantom islands are islands that were believed to exist, and appeared on maps for a period of time during recorded history, but were later removed after they were proved to be nonexistent...
s first reported in 1762 by the Spanish merchant ship Aurora while sailing from Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
to Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. The Aurora's officers reported sighting them again in 1774. The Spanish ship San Miguel fixed their location at 52°37'S, 47°49'W. On 20 February 1794, they were sighted again by a Spanish survey ship, the corvette Atrevida
Descubierta and Atrevida
The Descubierta and Atrevida were twin corvettes of the Spanish Navy, custom-designed as identical special exploration and scientific research vessels . Both ships were built at the same time for the Malaspina Expedition...
, which as part of the Alejandro Malaspina circumnavigation had been sent to confirm them. Their reported location was approximately half way between the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
and South Georgia at 53°S 48°W. The latitude is considered perfect, the longitude was based on the meridian of the astronomical observatory, San Fernando, Cádiz. The islands were last sighted in 1856, but continued to appear on maps of the South Atlantic until the 1870s.
It is possible that the Aurora islands were discovered by Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer. The Americas are generally believed to have derived their name from the feminized Latin version of his first name.-Expeditions:...
in his 1501/1502 voyage with a Portuguese expedition. In his "Lettera" of 1504, his most detailed note, he states that he left the coast of Brazil from Cabo Frío and followed the path of the Sirocco south-east covering 500 leagues (about 3000 kilometres) by sea down to 50ºS
50th parallel south
The 50th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 50 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
or 52ºS
52nd parallel south
The 52nd parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 52 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
. The probability is confirmed by Vice-Admiral Ernesto Basilico in The Third Voyage of Amerigo Vespucci (Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, 1967) and by Lt-Cdr Barreiro Meiro (General Journal of Navy, October 1968, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
). In latitude 52ºS Vespucci discovered an island 20 leagues (118 kilometres) long:
"We sailed so much with this wind (the SiroccoSiroccoSirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe. It is known in North Africa by the Arabic word qibli or ghibli Sirocco, scirocco, , jugo or, rarely, siroc is a Mediterranean wind...
) that we found ourselves in latitudes so high that the midday fix was 52º above the horizon and we could no longer see the stars of the Little BearUrsa MinorUrsa Minor , also known as the Little Bear, is a constellation in the northern sky. Like the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, whence the name Little Dipper...
nor the Big BearUrsa MajorUrsa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
constellations. This was the 3 April 1502. That day a storm blew up so strong that it made us furl all our sails and run with bare masts before strong winds from the south-east, enormous seas and stormy gusts. Such was the tempest that all the fleet was greatly fearful. The nights were very long, and the one of 7 April was of fifteen hours duration since the sun was at the end of AriesAriesThe Arieș is a tributary of Mureș River in Transylvania, Romania.Most probably "Arieș" means "Gold River" in Dalmatian which is thought to be very similar to the Dacian language. It is concluded that the Romanian name most probably derives from the Dacian name of the river...
, and in this region it was winter, as Your Majesty can calculate. In the middle of this storm of 7 April we sighted a new land, which we sailed alongside of for almost 20 leagues, finding the coast wild, and we did not see any harbour or people. I believe because the cold was so intense that none of us could remedy it or bear it."
The only large islands in 52ºS latitude were the as then undiscovered Falklands/Malvinas
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, but Vespucci's description does not fit the Falklands, whose low-lying coasts are full of coves for shelter and are not "wild". 3 April is not winter but the first month of autumn and a night of fifteen hours duration implies a mysterious shift of the sun: furthermore sailors would not find the cold intolerable at that season of the year in 52ºS. The suggestion of aberrant conditions accompanying a fierce storm is typical of a number of phantom islands, particularly St Brendan's Island.
In an effort to explain the persistent reports of sightings over the century from 1762, mid-ocean atmospheric peculiarities, optical illusion
Optical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
s or even a massive iceberg have been suggested. Another idea is that the Aurora Islands are the Shag Rocks, and the name Islas Aurora is used in Spanish for them. For this to be plausible, however, it would require all the various reporting navigators to have mistaken six small rocks of no greater altitude than 70 metres for three islands, for their ships to have wandered 160 miles off course towards South Georgia, and for the navigators not to have recognised the fact.
They are the subject of a 2001 novel entitled Hippolyte's Island, by Barbara Hodgson, during which they are rediscovered by the book's protagonist. In an episode in Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is the only complete novel written by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The work relates the tale of the young Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship called the Grampus...
, Pym and his crewmates search for but fail to find them.