SUN SPOTS’ EFFECT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 110, 22 February 1950, Page 5

SUN SPOTS’ EFFECT

MESSAGES DELAYED (Rec. 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 21. i Sun spots to-day upset world telegraphic and radio communications, and threaten to do so on Wednesday, and’on Thursday which is Britain s general election day. Radio communications to Australia had to be diverted to the cables which became congested, causing delays up to 10 hours.

EFFECT IN N.Z. RADIO CONTACTS CUT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Following huge hydrogen flares on the sun, all radio contact between New Zealand and the outside world was lost at 10.45 a.m. to-day, but it is expected it may ’be resumed later to-day. , . The Chief Engineers’ branch of the Post Office reported this morning that the radio circuit between Makara and London was “uncommercial,” and that radio contact with New York was poor until 10.30, when it faded completely. The transmission circuit from Auckland to San Francisco, and that centre’s reception at Makara, were working well, and all Pacific Islands circuits were in use. Broadcasting officials found reception poor yesterday, good during the night and poor again this morning. There has been a minor' delay on the cable circuits. . There might be an aurora to-mgnt, said the director of the Carter Observatory, Mr I. L. Thomsen, to-day, commenting on the London report. Mr Thomsen added that a big sunspot group, reported last week,- was still pretty active.