INTENSIVE AURORAL DISPLAY: CAMPBELL ISLAND REPORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1948, Page 4

INTENSIVE AURORAL DISPLAY: CAMPBELL ISLAND REPORT

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Preliminary radio reports from Campbell Island received today by the Carter Observatory state that a most intensive auroral display was witnessed there about 10 o’clock last night and included a flaming corona. The display was seen from Wellington from 9 p.m. until about 11 p.m. and was visible even later as a glow. There has been interference with telegraphic circuits by earth currents. Reports from the Telegraph Department, Dunedin, state that there was trouble with earth circuits from 7.20 p.m. until 7.35 p.m. and again at 7.45 p.m. In Christchurch there was similar interference between 7 and 8 p.m. and at Invercargill from 9.55 until 10.15 p.m. , Commenting on the reports to date, Mr Thomsen, director of the observatory, said: “It looks as if this has come from sunspot activity. We were aware of this, but did not anticipate there would be any effect -for at least two days. It has come earlier than we expected.’’ There is a possibility that two brilliant meteors were seen on Saturday night, according to information received by Mr Thomsen. One was reported from near the entrance to Tory Channel. A subsequent report says a meteor was also observed from Wellington at a later hour.

OBSERVATIONS ON WEST COAST

The auroral display was observed by many Greymouth people. It reached its maximum intensity about 10.30 p.m., in a great arc radiating from the south. The Evening Star's Reefton correspondent reports that the display as seen from Reefton last night was one of the most vivid witnessed for many years. Following a cloudies, sunny day a long silvery after-glow which commenced at sunset culminated in a striking display of the aurora, which, lasted, in varying degrees of brilliancy, for several hours.

Between 9.30 and 10.15 p.m. the sky was brilliantly lit in the west with vivid beams of light. After 11 p.m., the display declined. Grey Valley residents also saw the display, which at Ikamatua, was particularly vivid, though there the climax was at a later hour than at Reefton. .