GREAT SOLAR ACTIVITY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3442, 23 March 1920, Page 5

GREAT SOLAR ACTIVITY.

The following Weather forecast was issued by Mr Clement L. Wl-agge at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday:—“Genera.lly fair Weather is expected during the next 30 hours, although "there is a slight

tendency to intervening showers. ' Winds between west-south-west and ' south, Before long, however, another depression, named Manil is expected, and is almost certain to arrive. The sun is altogether in an abnormal con-

dition. Tremendous upheavals are in progress in the photosphere. There are fully 30 so-called “spots,’? covering an area over 200,000 miles long,

the two largest each being about 30,000 miles in diameter. That the earth must respond in some way by the allpotent wireless rays, there is no doubt, and readers should carefully scan the cablegrams with regard to storms, aurores, tidal waves, and sei--4 smic disturbances in‘ other parts of

the world. I cannot remember within the last 35 years having ever seen the sun so active, and this "is signific'ant, seeing that the solar minimum is due. that these conditions form an aftermath of the recent planetary configuration. This wonderful archipelago of “spots" can be observed with quite

modest optical aid, but the use of L dark or smoked glass is imperative. It would be better to project the sun’s image on a sheet‘of white paper, taking every care to protect the eye,” j