A HUGE SUNSPOT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1942, Page 6

A HUGE SUNSPOT

DISTURBANCES LIKELY

A huge sunspot— a "real whopper," as one observer described it this morning—has made its appearance on the eastern side of the sun. Some idea of its size is shown by the fact that its diameter is seven or eight times that of the earth. The spot is of a very complex type, which past experience has shown to be associated with auroral displays and magnetic disturbances.

The spot will be crossing the sun's meridian early on Sunday morning, and experience in the past has shown that it is after such a crossing that sunspots produce their effects, if any. Carter Observatory officials think that from now onwards short-wave radio may be affected, and that if there are going to be auroral displays, magnetic disturbances, and so forth, the most probable dates are March, 2, 3, and 4, with March 3 as first choice. There is no . guarantee, however, that anything will happen, but the spot is of such a nature that it is legitimate to expect something.

expressed by parents at the failure to provide shelter in view of the vulnerable area in which the college was situated. In view of the fact that there might be no real warning of a raid, their opinion was that shelters should be built close to the school grounds, and that reliance should not be placed on conveying pupils to distant shelters.

Mr. Dyer replied that the board was as keenly concerned as they were about the safety of the children in the colleges. All that the board had done had gone through the E.P.S., and had received its approval. An enormous amount of work had been done over a period since the early part" of 1941. The technical committee with which he had been dealing was a competent one, and there had been a military man attached to it." The position had now, of course, changed. It was true that very little had been done until Japan came into the war. He produced plans which had been approved. Hobson Street Gully was considered to be a little too far away. All the preliminary work had been done, and now plans could be proceeded with expeditiously. There was, however, a limit to material, and there was a shortage of labour. The board was far ahead of what it would have been had it awaited the ordinary procedure. Speaking generally, shelters would be provided for all the colleges, but would be erected first in the more vulnerable areas.