Dazzling Aurora Australis Paints the Skies from Tasmania to Australia’s Southern Shores!

A breathtaking light display captivated Tasmania and extensive regions of southern mainland Australia overnight.

Largely clear skies coincided with a strong geomagnetic storm, resulting in a vivid aurora australis, observable by the naked eye.

The intensity and location of the storm allowed it to be observed in southern Western Australia and New South Wales, in addition to regions across South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania.

In Hobart, the aurora began to appear around 11pm, showcasing brilliant hues of green and purple, visible even against the city’s bright lights.

Nicholas Green photographed it over the southern midlands town of Oatlands, describing the scene as “dancing in the sky”.

“A beautiful sight, it could be seen with the naked eye,” he stated.

In Western Australia, the lights were distinctly visible from already illuminated areas such as Mandurah, located south of Perth.

Moreover, further south in Margaret River, a well-known destination for wine and culinary tourism, the aurora became visible around 9pm WST.

This year has been eventful for aurora enthusiasts, with vigorous storms occurring consistently, particularly noted during a series of sunspots in May.

The sun is currently at the peak of its 11-year magnetic field cycle, resulting in heightened solar activity.

Solar activity ‘such a chaos’ at this moment

The level and unpredictability of solar activity currently has made it challenging to ascertain if and when a significant aurora will occur.

Margaret Sonneman, who established the Aurora Australis Tasmania website, mentioned that last night’s occurrence was the third most powerful of the events during the current solar maximum.

“However, these occurrences have preconditioned the magnetosphere, resulting in follow-ups, like last night, being more vigorous,” she commented.

It isn’t until the evening, around 8pm or 9pm, that aurora observers can ascertain if a significant event is impending.

The solar maximum is anticipated to continue for approximately a year; however, there have been instances of recorded double peaks in former periods.