Damon Mcknight
The aurora australis, also known as the southern lights, is a natural light display predominantly observed in high-latitude regions in the Southern Hemisphere. The auroral oval is generally located over the Southern Ocean and parts of Antarctica. During intense solar activity, it can stretch north to Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa, Australasia, the Falkland Islands, and, under exceptional circumstances, as far north as Uruguay. The Maori people of New Zealand refer to the lights as Tahunui-a-rangi or great torches in the sky.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Other Names | Southern Lights |
| Visible From | High southern latitudes in Antarctica, the Southern Cone, South Africa, Australasia, the Falkland Islands, Tasmania, New Zealand, Bruny Island, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and under exceptional circumstances as far north as Uruguay |
| Related Phenomena | Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) |
| Cause | Disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced speeds of solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections |
| Appearance | Dynamic patterns of radiant light that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky |
| Colour | Green, violet, red, orange |
| Best Observed | In cold and clear weather |
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What You'll Learn
- Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, is visible from high southern latitudes
- The lights can be seen in Antarctica, Australasia, and South Africa
- They are also visible in the Southern Cone and the Falkland Islands
- On rare occasions, the lights can be seen as far north as Uruguay
- Tasmania's Bruny Island is a great spot to view the Southern Lights
Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, is visible from high southern latitudes
Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, is a natural light display in the Earth's sky. It is predominantly observed in high southern latitudes in Antarctica, the Southern Cone, South Africa, Australasia, and the Falkland Islands. Under exceptional circumstances, it can also be seen as far north as Uruguay.
The Southern Lights are the southern counterpart to the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. They are physically the same, differing only in their location. They occur simultaneously during a solar storm, but sometimes the onset of one lags behind the other. The lights are the result of disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced speeds of solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma, causing them to precipitate into the upper atmosphere and emit light of varying colours and complexity.
The Māori people of New Zealand refer to the Southern Lights as "Tahunui-a-rangi", meaning "great torches in the sky". They are said to be lit by ancestors who sailed south to a "land of ice". The first mention of the Northern Lights in Scandinavian literature is found in the Norwegian chronicle Konungs Skuggsjá from AD 1230. The chronicler heard about the phenomenon from compatriots returning from Greenland and proposed three possible explanations: that the ocean was surrounded by vast fires; that sun flares could reach around the world to its night side; or that glaciers could store energy and become fluorescent.
The Southern Lights can be seen in Tasmania, Australia, in places such as Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Bruny Island, and Bathurst Harbour. Tasmania's Central Highlands, known as the "Land of a Thousand Lakes", is an ideal area for viewing the Southern Lights due to its unobstructed horizon views. The lights can also be seen in New Zealand, as evidenced by a sequence of shots taken in 2011 from a descending pass near eastern Australia.
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The lights can be seen in Antarctica, Australasia, and South Africa
The aurora, commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or the southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display predominantly observed in high-latitude regions. The Maori people of New Zealand refer to the lights as "Tahunui-a-rangi" or "great torches in the sky". The lights can be seen in Antarctica, Australasia, and South Africa.
Antarctica, the southernmost continent, is the world's highest, driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent. It is about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square km) in size, and thick ice covers about 98% of the land. The continent is divided into East Antarctica and West Antarctica, which are separated by the Transantarctic Mountains. The southern lights are visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica.
Australasia, a subregion of Oceania, comprises Australia, New Zealand, and sometimes New Guinea and the surrounding islands. The southern lights can be seen in Australasia.
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. It is a multi-ethnic society with a variety of cultures, languages, and religions. The southern lights are visible from high southern latitudes in South Africa.
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They are also visible in the Southern Cone and the Falkland Islands
The Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, are visible in the Southern Hemisphere, predominantly in high-latitude regions around the Antarctic. They are also visible in the Southern Cone and the Falkland Islands. The Southern Cone encompasses parts of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, located on the Patagonian Shelf.
The Southern Lights are the southern counterpart to the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, and the two phenomena occur simultaneously during a solar storm. The lights are the result of disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced speeds of solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma, causing them to precipitate into the upper atmosphere and emit light of varying colours and complexity.
The Southern Lights are visible in the Southern Cone and the Falkland Islands due to their proximity to the Antarctic region, where the lights are most commonly observed. The auroral oval, the region that displays an aurora, is generally located over the Southern Ocean and parts of Antarctica. During intense solar activity, it can expand and stretch further north, increasing the visibility of the Southern Lights in more northern locations.
The Southern Lights are a challenging phenomenon to predict with precision, as they can occur with only 30 minutes of warning. However, they can be forecasted based on observations of the sun, satellite measurements of solar wind, and modelled changes in the Earth's geomagnetic activity due to solar activity. Tools such as Kp maps and Aurora Alerts can help increase the chances of witnessing this spectacular display.
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On rare occasions, the lights can be seen as far north as Uruguay
The aurora, commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display predominantly observed in high-latitude regions. The auroras display dynamic patterns of radiant lights that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or dynamic flickers covering the entire sky. The southern lights, aurora australis, are visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, the Southern Cone, South Africa, Australasia, and the Falkland Islands.
The auroras are the result of disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced speeds of solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections. These disturbances alter the trajectories of charged particles in the magnetospheric plasma. These particles, mainly electrons and protons, precipitate into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere). The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emit light of varying colour and complexity. The southern lights, aurora australis, are caused by the same physical phenomenon as the northern lights, aurora borealis, and differ only in their location.
The auroral zone is a band approximately 6° (660 km) wide in latitude, centred on 67° north and south. The region that displays an aurora is called the "auroral oval". The auroral oval is displaced by the solar wind, pushing it about 15° away from the geomagnetic pole in the noon direction and 23° away in the midnight direction. The auroral oval can be predicted, but not guaranteed, hours or days ahead of time, based on observations of the sun, satellite measurements of the solar wind, and modelled changes in the Earth's geomagnetic activity due to solar activity.
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Tasmania's Bruny Island is a great spot to view the Southern Lights
Tasmania's Bruny Island is a photographer's dream, with its rugged coastline, towering crags, towering cliffs, and long sandy beaches. It is also a great spot to view the Southern Lights, also known as the Aurora Australis.
Bruny Island is located in Tasmania's south, and it is known for its unpolluted night sky, which is dark and sparkling with glittering constellations and the glorious Milky Way. The island is about 50 km long but appears to be two islands, with North and South Bruny joined by a narrow strip of land called The Neck. The Neck also offers a great vantage point to view the Southern Lights, and it is recommended that you climb the stairs and point your camera southwards.
The "Land of a Thousand Lakes" in Tasmania's Central Highlands is another ideal area for viewing the Southern Lights due to its unobstructed horizon views. The flat, mirrored lakes in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park also offer unobstructed views of the Southern Lights.
Tasmania is home to many of the best places to view the Southern Lights, and Bruny Island is definitely one of them. The island is accessed via a 20-minute crossing on a vehicular ferry from Kettering, around a 35-minute drive south of Hobart.
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Frequently asked questions
The Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, can be seen in high southern latitudes in Antarctica, the Southern Cone, South Africa, Australasia, the Falkland Islands, and, in rare cases, as far north as Uruguay.
The Aurora Australis happens in the upper atmosphere, so it is important to find a location with no cloud cover. Cold and clear conditions are best for viewing the lights.
The lights are caused by disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere, which are the result of enhanced speeds of solar wind from coronal holes and coronal mass ejections.
