BRILLIANT AURORA

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1939, Page 5

BRILLIANT AURORA

DISPLAY ON SATURDAY

GREEN AND RED RAYS

A very fine display of the aurora australis' was visible in Wellington early on Saturday evening. The whole display lasted nearly three hours, but the really spectacular part of it was over in less than half an hour. Just as it was getting dark, about 6.30 p.m., the southern horizon took ion a greenish glow. This gradually j brightened and radiating green rays I flashed across the sky. A two-colour I effect then came into play, red mingling with the green and for a time displacing it. At 7.40 a burst of red rays shot high into the sky, but these very quickly died-away and there was left only a glowing sky. This glow, which reverted again to green and which appeared to pulsate at times, lasted for a considerable time, but gradually got fainter, finally dying out about 9 p.m. Those who were lucky enough to see the aurora, and the broadcasting of the fact that the phenomenon was visible materially helped to swell this number, had a display which compensated them for the failure of the previous week's meteor shower to materialise, although of course there was no connection between the two. By the time many people had heard about, the aurora, however, the best of it Avas over, and all they saw was a glowing sky without any flashing fiery lances. The aurora was visible from other places than Wellington, especially in the South Island where the sky was clear.