Australia’s south-eastern regions were treated to a breathtaking spectacle of Aurora Australia, ushering in the New Year with a spectacular light show. On New Year’s Day, the southern lights took over the skies over parts of Tasmania and Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales, surprising observers.

From the evening of January 1 to the morning of January 2, brilliant streaks of green and purple lit up the sky. The event was visible with the naked eye thanks to clear skies and an intense geologic storm, which combined to create an extraordinary auroral display. Photos and videos of the lights flooded social media, as many users expressed their excitement and wonder.

A user shared a time-lapse video of the aurora captured in Perth, Western Australia.

Aurora timelapse from last nights G4 KP8 solar storm between 10:20pm and 11:00pm from Perth, Western Australia???? #AuroraAustralis #MooningCrew #Perth #Perth News #PerthWeather #SouthWestWA #Solarstorm #Western Australia pic.twitter.com/GnHeParqTi

— Weather WA (@weather_wa) January 1, 2025

Another post featured a series of photos of the spectacular Aurora Australis, highlighting strong geomagnetic activity “with KP indices fluctuating around 6 and 7!”

The sun surprised those in Northern Europe with a beautiful New Year’s Eve Aurora Borealis under a clear sky. Kp above 5 – times above 6! In Australia and New Zealand the “Australis” form is still in progress and the Kp index is fluctuating around 6 and 7! pic.twitter.com/VTWslGRx9e

— AuroraNotifier (@aurora_notifier) January 1, 2025

The Kp index is a scale used to measure the strength of geomagnetic activity. The higher the Kp index, the stronger the geomagnetic storm.

Here are a few more posts with great photos of the Aurora Australia.

Aurora now
Look south
Big bare eye beams #Tasmania #auroraaustralis pic.twitter.com/VSimlJqQ4R

— Vince Taskunas (@VinceTaskunas) January 1, 2025

Took the Canon EOS 1200D to Queenstown airport in Tasmania and got it.
Aurora Australia 01 01 2025 (@BrownSquirrel) pic.twitter.com/DROqE7PuWU

— Courtney Lee (Ellie Noah’s mom) ????x 5 (@CeeEllEss_33) January 1, 2025

Aurora Australia now. Tasmania. pic.twitter.com/Ow30l4n87K

— James L (@JKyL5) January 1, 2025

In Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, the aurora was so bright that it was visible despite the usual interference of city lights. According to ABC News, the light show was glowing with vibrant colors of green and purple, clearly visible in urban areas.

I’m up late but wow the aurora from my window makes it worth it!#Tasmania #auroraaustralis pic.twitter.com/voQQjAZHl1

— Chris Bowditch (@ChrisBoditch) January 1, 2025

Similarly, residents of Western Australia enjoyed the spectacle at bright spots near Perth, where the aurora was visible in all its glory.

Further south, the charming town of Margaret River, known for its wine and food tourism, also saw the southern lights light up the sky.

The Aurora Australis, which results from a geomagnetic storm, is created when charged particles from the Sun collide with the Earth’s magnetic field. This interaction causes the atmospheric colors that are seen during such events. With the Sun nearing the peak of its 11-year magnetic period, solar activity is at an all-time high, resulting in an increased frequency of auroral displays.

(translation of tags) Aurora Australia (T) Australia



Source link