SOLAR ACTIVITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 4, 1 December 1934, Page 12

SOLAR ACTIVITY.

INTEREST TO OBSERVERS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 29. A development on the sun which was observed yesterday at the Kelburn Observatory is of great astronomical interest. For the last few months there has been a scarcity of sun-spots, and those that have been observed have been small and feeble. This has been rather disappointing to solar workers, as a period of maximum activity certainly commenced in October, 1933.' when sunspots of a high latitude were observed. Mr I. I. Thomsen, director of the solar section of the New Zealand Astronomical Society, stated to-day that for the last two days there had been a small, apparently insignificant, sun-spot visible- also there were areas of intense faculate which are really patches of highly-luminous gas above the sun’s surface. To-day, however, the outburst of activity was clearly indicated. “Although the individual spots are not large and may appear insignificant to the unskilled observer, yet the fact that so many of them have appeared over such a large area of the sun within 15 to 20 hours gives evidence of the sun’s present active state,” Mr Thomsen said. “Although there was only one spot yesterday, there are now three groups, containing eight, five and seven spots respectively. They stretch across the sun’s face for a distance of 252,000 miles. “The indications are that still greater activity may be expected, and the sun will be keenly watched by members of the solar section of the New Zealand Astronomical Society and at Kelburn Observatory.