YEAR OF QUIET SUN

Press, Volume C, Issue 29699, 18 December 1961, Page 16

YEAR OF QUIET SUN

Study Programme For N.Z. (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. A provisional programme of the part New Zealand is likely to play in the International year of the Quiet Sun, 1964-65. was released today by the New Zealand National Committee for Geodesy and Geophysics. All countries taking pari are now completing their programmes which will be co-ordinated at a special meeting in Paris next April. The Year of the Quiet Sun has been described as a miniature International Geophysical Year because it is being held at a time of minimum sunspot activity. The International Geophysical Year was arranged to coincide with a period of maximum sunspot activity. New Zealand’s provisional programme for the Year of the Quiet Sun included observation of solar activity at the Carter Observatory in Wellington and cosmic ray research at Lower Hutt. The solar observations will be largely concerned with sunspot activity. Geomagnetic observations will be made at Apia, Western Samoa, Amberley, North Canterbury, Hallett Station and Scott Base. Antarctica. Aurora and airglow experimental studies, which will be part of a continued attempt to explain the origin and mechanism of the phenomena, are expected to be made at Lauder, Central Otago. Hallett Station and Scott Base.

The ionosphere will be studied over a wide area, including Rarotonga, Godley Head. Campbell Island. Seagrove, Invercargill, Hallett Station Scott Base. Ardmore. Christchurch, Lower Hutt and Lauder.