AURORA AUSTRALIA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 10 August 1917, Page 8

AURORA AUSTRALIA

A fine display of the Aurora Australis was seen irom Hawera last night. The New Plymouth and Wanganui papers also mention the spectacle, which is somewhat rare in this latitude. At Wanganui it was particularly brilliant. The Chronicle says:— The celestial visitation made its appearance shortly after darkness had fallen, when a wide arc of sk3 T slowly lit up with a beautiful crimson glow. For several hours the mysterious light flowed and ebbed, and the spectacle was Witnessed by a large number of people from points of vantage round the town. Interested spectators viewed with interest a. band of pearl light on the southern horizon broaden and change to primrose, and then to saffron. The saffron hue swept upwards, changing al ternately to pink, flame color, and finally a brilliant crimson. From the font below the horizon spirals of a richeacrimson eddied upwards, and the scene was not unlike a great conflagration viewed at a distance. At one period the mysterious illumination steadied into a great fiery arch, and streamers of softf colors radiated to the zenith. Sapphires and tender violets palpitated into rose, then faltered and slowly faded away. When the Aurora glowed at its brightest there were blood-red reflections on sea and river, and viewed from Durie Hill, the lighted background caused Landguard Bluff to stand out sharply in silhouette. | The mysterious Southern Lights were . seen under ideal conditions. The night was calm, and the sky was star-flecked. I Low on the sky-line a planet burned brightly—a brilliant red at the height of the diffused glow, and a great white, scintillating light as the magnetic rays slowly vanished, and the brightness was i drained out of the heavens.