IN ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1929, Page 6

IN ANTARCTICA

THE SUN DISAPPEARS

AURORA’S BRILLIANCY

(By Russell Owen—Copyrighted 1929 by the New York Times Company, and St. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireless to New Yoik Times.)

(United Press Association--By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

RAY OF WHALES, April IS

The sun disappeared from our camp yesterday. It crawled along the horizon formed by the Barrier to the north—a round hall of dull fire as if seen through a thin haze—and slid slowly out of sight. To-dav the upper part of it might have appeared again, but there were clouds in the northern sky, and only a red spot crept westward. It grew fainter as it went away, leaving a chill at sunset. It may be visible for a day or two more from the Barrier top, or the Bay ice; hut it will he next August before it shines again on our little ho'loiv. It has left a long twilight, an eerie gray light, which almost impor r-'tibly fades into night, and this light will ho with us in the middle of the day for some time. It is curious that our sunset is in tlie north now. aiul that in the south where the golden rays used to light the rolling' harrier surface, there is a grim black line of approaching night; With the going of the sun the cold has increased, and last night it was again f<'rtv below zero.

It was a calm, clear night, with the aurora blazing overhead. It is a magnificent and mysterious glow, palpitating, as if alive, and sending its shivering curtains and streamers across the sky. This is an occurrence almost every night, and a nightwatchman has been appointed to watch its volume, direction, and character. The aurora lias probably been responsible for some of the radio vagaries which have occurred lately. Larry Gould, for instance, wished to communicate with the University of Michigan, but be found it was easier to reach Michigan through the University’s short wave station at Mount Evans, Greenland, than direct. It is hoped that it will he possible during the periods of darkness at Mount Evans and Little America, to compare the auroral phenomena by radio and to learn something new about it. For instance it has never yet been possible to know whether it occurred simultaneously at both Poles.