THE AURORA AUSTRALIS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 18 June 1915, Page 4

THE AURORA AUSTRALIS.

A fine display of the Aurora Australis or Polar Light was witnessed from Hawera last night, and probably all along the West Coast. Persons who have resided in Hawera for thirty years say that they have never before seen the phenomenon here, and a number of peopele were at first under the impression that the display must have been caused by the reflection of some immense and far-off fire. Of course, those who had seen the aurora- in both hemispheres were under no such illusion. On the horizon and up towards the zenith, away to the westward, there was a lovely intermittent glow of orange and green, while immediately to the southward great streamers, changing from exquisite pink to glowing blood-red, shot up from the horizon to the zenith. It wras a lovely and thrilling sight, and its effectiveness was heightened by occasional picturesque, slowly moving masses of dark galleon-like clouds. The display was especially fine from a little before ten until half-past eleven o'clock. The aurora is said to be caused by olectr.icity passing through the upper portions of the atmosphere in the polar regions, and, towards the poles, it is said to be sometimes accompanied by sound resembling the rustling of silk, or the delicate sound of wind against the flame of a candle.