This print describes a pale and very spirally Aurora Borealis on the night sky. This shape of the Northern Lights is unlikely to look like this in reality, it is possible Sabatier used his imagination to get a more dramatic effect.
Printed by Sabatier after a drawing by P. Lottin. This print is part of "Atlas Historique et Pittoresque", published in 1842-1852 for "Voyages de la Commission Scientifique du Nord" about the Recherche expedition.