COMET OBSERVED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22588, 17 March 1948, Page 6

COMET OBSERVED

FIRST SEEN FROM GREECE AURORA DISPLAY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 16 A comet that was first reported from Greece can now be observed from New Zealand This comet is slated by the director of the Carter Observatory, Mr. 1. L. Thomsen, to be of the tent!) magnitude and to be in the constellation of Hercules, a cannot be seeq by the naked eye, but can be observed through an ordinary telescope. It is a diffused object and no reports of a tail have been received.

Preliminary radio reports from Campbell Island, teceived today by the Carter Observatory, stale that a most intensive aurora display was witnessed there at about 10 o'clock last night and included a flaming corona. The display was seen in Wellington from 9 p.m. until about 11 pan and was visible even later as a glow There lias been interference with telegraphic circuits by earth currents. Commenting on the reports to date. Mr. Thomsen said: “It looks as if this has come from sunspot activity. We were aware of this, but did not anticipate that there would be any effect for at least two days It has come earlier than we expected.” There is a possibilty 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 that a meteor also was observed from Wellington at a late hour.