AURORA AND SUN SPOTS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25714, 28 January 1949, Page 8

AURORA AND SUN SPOTS

INTERRUPTIONS TO COMMUNICATIONS BLACK-OUT ON SOME RADIO CIRCUITS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, January 27. Magnetic disturbances caused by the aurora and sunspots in the Southern Hemisphere are expected to stop after to-morrow, according to the director of the Carter Observatory (Mr L Thomsen)."We have been watching these phenomena some time,” he said. “The disturbance of communications has been quite large all over the earth. It has been produced by very large sun spots. These sun spots were first seen on January 17 and crossed the central meridian of the sun between January 23 and 24. “The sun spot groups consist of two ver'- large centres of activity. Radio effects have been observed since the beginning of this week and on Tuesday afternoon there was one very large eruption of hydrogen over one of the spots which was observed at the observatory. This caused a complete black-out for about 20 minutes on many radio circuits.

Telegraph Affected “By yesterday we heard they had been seeing very large displays of aurora in the Northern Hemisphere and that the Atlantic radio communications had been extensively disturbed. In New Zealand yesterday the Post and Telegraph ’ Department reported to me that it was experiencing earth currents on several telegraph circuits, particularly between Dunedin and Invercargill. “There has not been time to get all the information about the aurora which may haye been seen in New Zealand, but we already have preliminary information that it has been seen from Timaru and Campbell Island. “The disturbances may continue till to-morrow but after that we expect them to cease abruptly.”