Aurora Australis Alert: Get Outside Tonight The Sky Might Just Glow
Grab your jumper and head for the hills or the beach. The spectacular Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, could be visible tonight if conditions are right.
The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) has issued an Aurora Alert, indicating a geomagnetic storm is underway. This means the chances of seeing an aurora in high-latitude areas of Southern Australia are strong.
Where to See the Aurora Australis
- Head as far south as possible, away from city lights.
- Tasmania offers the best viewing opportunities, along with New Zealand's South Island.
- Mainland Southern Australia (Victoria, southern NSW, South Australia) may also experience the display, but seek out very dark skies with minimal light pollution.
The ideal viewing time is generally between 10pm and 2am local time, with displays typically lasting 1 to 3 hours. Use the ASWFC’s auroral oval tool to check if your location falls inside the "equatorward visibility line" for tonight.
How the Aurora Occurs
When the sun flings charged particles out—solar wind, coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—they travel toward Earth and hit our planet’s magnetic field. Once trapped, they interact with molecules in the upper atmosphere (oxygen, nitrogen), releasing light.
This interaction causes the sky to light up with the beautiful dancing colors of the aurora.
Author’s summary: A geomagnetic storm tonight could produce visible Southern Lights in southern Australia and New Zealand, offering a rare chance to witness this stunning natural light show if skies are clear.