AURORA AUSTRALIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17782, 16 May 1921, Page 4

AURORA AUSTRALIS.

DISPLAY OVER 'AUCKLAND.

SKY OF CHANGING COLOUR.

VIVID. BANDS OF LIGHT.

A vivid and unusually beautiful display of the Aurora Australia, the southern equivalent of the Aurora Borealis, was to he -seen in the southern sky just after dusk last evening. The display, which was forecasted by Mr. Clement L. Wragge in Saturday's Hekaxd, was not only notable for manifesting itself in such a latitude as that of Auck•land, but was of a richness of tinting and distinctness far beyond anything usually to be seen save, very much nearer the polar regions. Commencing about 6 p.m. it lasted with-yaryfng degrees of brilliancy until after 8 o'clock. During the most (brilliant moments, the whole southern sty was suffused with a deep pink colouring, resembling the afterglow of an unusually gorgeous sunset, the pink, varying in places and at moments towards a rich crimson, was shot with broad bands of irridiscent light, paling and« deepening, changing from < light yellowish white to a deep red, and passing through a purple phase in the process. At the pei-iods of maximum, brilliancy the auroral rays converged toward two nuclei, one on the south-eastern and the other on the south-western horizon. At the nuclei the glow of,jays faded away to patches of sky, olive-green in colour and illuminated with an unusual glow. There were times when the bands of changing colour extended, from horizon to zenith over one half of the sky.

Auckland is nob accustomed to. this phenomenon, common enough on -wintry nights in the southern parts of New Zealand. As soon as people began to notice the glow in the sky last evening, they commenced Crowding out of doors to watch and exclaim- 4 '. Neighbour called to neighbour to know where the fire was. Then as the rays began to define themselves, and the fire theory became untenable, conjectures ranged -/from {'the possibility of an eruption somewhere to that of the impending end of the world. All along the streets people could be seen gfaziftgi skyward, while - and balconies all carried their quota, watching and speculating over the unusual appearance of the heavens. Even tramtravellers could not remain indifferent, but crowded to windows to gaze as the car travelled. Previous Recent Displays. While the phenomenon is unusual, it is not unique. On March 23 last year, some residents of Bamarama witnessed a display in the early hours of the morning. It also was seen m the city, but, occurring at an hour when very few people were abroad, did hot attract so much attention* as last night's display. The observers described the aurora as follows: —"It first attracted attention in the southwestern sky. The whole southern sky was lighted with an orange-pink glow, that varied after a few seconds, in brilliancy. We could also distinguish'lwide, ray-like bands of whiter light. 'Two brilliant meteors w '.re observed in the same part of the sky/ ' " P Another manifestation of the phenomenon was noticed in Auckland just before midnight on May 11, 1917. ~on that occasion it .was noted that the display corresponded with the description of auroral* rays, as distinct from arcs. The *ays covered the whole southern sky. Broad bands of quite, distinctly defined, streamed across the sky, radiating from an arc some distance above the horizon. The greater portion of the display was over by 12.30 a.m., but in the south-eastern section of the sky, nearer the'light of Jjhe moon, the rays persisted, showing clearer than elsewhere. _ ; . u • , ' The " Siinspot-•' { TheoryV-'-.v-Commenting) on the display, Wragge writes:—A great magnetic storm,"operated by the abnormal giant " sunspbt/'iis now affecting the earth, as is evidencedsjby the magnificent display" "of*" the/ Aurora Australis visible aTbund. Auckland*last evening. In the great'rosy auroral .streamers one actually witnesses. theUtremendpus wireless waves from the Jsun bombarding this planet. The display will have proved all the more beautifuE % in the South Island and with, increase of latitude generally; and high latitudes of-the Northern Hemisphere should have an equally grand manifestation of the Aurora Borealis. i That the ocean cables and telegraphic services generally will be mi s'oT.less affected is certain. It is most; unusual that" such a magnificent spectacle should be observed in such a comparatively low latitude as that of Auckland,' x and it proves the intensity of the wireless waves emanating from the sun. *-As has already been stated, the gigantic, solar upheavals at this time are quite abnormal, as it is highly probable that Alpha Centanri, our nest nearest sun, is unduly influencing our sun through 25 trillions of miles by its etheric waves. Last night's display afforded an excellent example of the electro-magnetic vibrations permeating the universe and linking up everythingMr. Wragge aSded* that the i display might be observed as far north" as the Tropic of Capricorn.

Scientific Investigations.

i ;.The: 'occurrence of auroral displays has •■been the subject' of considerable scientific investigation, most of whSch, however, has taken place in the Northern Hemisphere; It has been observed that the frequency Of the displays is much greater irivsome years than in, others. At most places the variation 'in frequency has shown "a, general similarity to that of sun spots. A further observation on the subject is that it is hardly open to doubt that there is »an intimate connection between the aurora when visible in temperatje latitudes and terrestrial A" bright aurora visible over Europe''seems always accompanied, by a magnetic storm and earth currents, and the largest , magnetic storms and the most conspicuous auroral displays have occurred simultaneously. On some of the occasions recorded since 1859, the aurora was brilliant in both hemispheres, while'magnetic disturb: ances were experienced the whole world over. In high latitudes, however, where both auroras and magnetic storms are most numerous, the connection between them is much Jess uniform. TELEGRAPHip INTERRUPTIONS. POWERFUL, EARTH CURRENTS. In connection with last evening's display of the Aurora 1 Australia the experience operators at the Auckland telegraph office -is, of interest. ' During Saturday and yesterday the office experienced considerable trouble in maintaining telegraphic communication owing to earth currents of'considerable force interfering with the worfcirig>of Jfche instrument*. On Saturday these./fcurrents were intermittent and at times practically held up the main circuits for half an hour to an hour at a time. Toward the afternoon quadrup'ex and duplex working on some of the circuits were abandoned. Yesterday these foreign currents were more pronounced, necessitating the abandoning of earth working altogether. Earth currents are not unknown to New Zealand telegraphists} but it is stated that never in the experience of officers' have they been known to be so pronounced and to last for such a long time as during the last two days. . ; -i- » ■ An exVofficer of the Telegraph Department stated last evening that these interruptions in communications had occurred at intervals in New Zealand, to his personal knowledge, for the last fifty years. Ine wires, he said,-were usually "affected during daytime oh the occasions of displays <W the AuroraAustralis, but in most cases there wa%,>a C €ssation of the disturbancea at jjundpwjj. fe <%