“Should forecast conditions eventuate, aurora sightings may be possible as far north as dark-sky locations in……

Want to see the southern lights? Tips from an aurora chaser

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Want to see the southern lights? Tips from an aurora chaser

Aurora Australis has painted the night skies and Australians could be in for more light displays.

Purple in the sky from the Aurora Australis against a black landscape on the horizon.

Geomagnetic storms have stirred up skies in the south to bring colour to photographs taken by aurora chasers in Australia. Source: Getty / PAUL CROCK/AFP

 

Key Points

Aurora Australis was visible from parts of Australia in the early hours of Friday.

Ongoing geomagnetic storms mean aurora chasers could see more of the lights overnight.

Those wanting to try to see the lights should find a south-facing spot without light pollution.

Night sky photos featuring pinks, purples and oranges are being shared across social media in Australia thanks to solar-induced magnetic storms.

 

Aurora Australis, the solar event which takes place in the Southern Hemisphere, brought colours to nighttime photos captured by aurora chasers in the early hours of Friday.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirmed aurora sightings were visible in the early hours of Friday across all states and territories except the Northern Territory.

Some, like Melbourne-based aurora chaser Arun Chandran were even able to see some of the colour with the naked eye.

 

Large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona — or Coronial Mass Ejections (CME) as Chandran and other enthusiasts refer to it — indicate the phenomenon may again grace southern skies overnight on Friday.

Current conditions

The Bureau of Meteorology Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre is observing a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm event globally with the Australian region currently recording a strong (G3) storm event.

 

A BOM spokesperson said it was predicting these geomagnetic conditions may continue until Saturday.

 

“If current conditions persist, aurora will be visible during local night hours tonight, with the evening hours likely to be most favourable,” they said.

 

“Should forecast conditions eventuate, aurora sightings may be possible as far north as dark-sky locations in Perth and Sydney, but likely less intense than what was observed early this morning.”

Aurora chasing

Chandran, who works in IT, became interested in auroras a few years ago and started a Facebook group about Aurora Australis, ahead of the light show that dazzled skies in May.