CABLES DISORGANISED.

Auckland Star, Volume 23, Issue 23, 28 January 1926, Page 7

CABLES DISORGANISED.

A SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE. SPOTS ON THE SUN. SYDNEY, January 27. A submarine magnetic disturbance in the l-Hciiic Ocean uisoiganiseU. tue world s cable services. Experts in bydiiey say that the dis-turt-ance was piooaoly caused, by the appearance ot large, new spots on the sun. The New Zealand cable was the worst sutierer, but reports have been received from all parts of the world to the effect that tne cables have been working badly. Most of the messages received in Sydney could not be deciphered. The disturbance commenced last night, and until late to-day the cables did not resume normal conditions. Dr. Edward F. l'igot (Director of the Riverview College UDservatory, .Sydney-) stated to-day that the disturbance was in all probability associated with great groups of sun spots which had passed along the centre meridian of the sun and are now approaching its western rim. It was puzzling to explain, however, why the disturbance had not occurred two or three days earlier, when two great groups of sun spots which Dr. Pigot said he had photographed were on the centre meridian of the sun and in a direct line with the earth. If there is a real connection between the phenomena of sun spots and magnetic storms, the present storm showed that the axis of the vertical movement of the electrons had been inclined very obliquely to the sun's surface.— IA. and N.Z.)