An impressive aurora australis has been seen in many parts of Australia, reportedly reaching as far north as Hamilton Island in Queensland.
Tuesday night’s light show was caused by a severe solar storm hitting the Earth.
People have reported seeing the phenomenon across Tasmania, in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.
The aurora australis over Richmond Bridge, Tasmania. (Supplied: Rusli Hashim)
Photographs and videos show shimmering and pulsating pastel-coloured lights, through to bright pinks and purples filling the sky.
Capturing aurora australis
Dr Rebecca Allen, co-director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne University of Technology, told ABC News Radio there had been more of the events in recent times.
“The sun is still in a very active cycle, it’s just coming down from its solar maximum,” she said.
“So this is why we are seeing more of these coronal mass ejections.
“This is where the sun basically belches forth all of these energetic particles.”
The aurora was visible over Hobart’s Tasman Bridge. (Supplied: Rusli Hashim)
The storm was also predicted to cause auroras to low latitudes in the northern hemisphere.
Warnings of the the severe geomagnetic storm led many to venture out into their backyards to see the spectacle.
For some it was very visible despite the city lights.
The aurora seen from a home in Sandy Bay, Tasmania. (Supplied: Cedric Manen)
The aurora australis from Hobart’s eastern shore. (ABC News: Emily Bryan)
Even pets enjoyed the show from Hobart’s beaches. (Supplied: Katie Watts)
Some travelled away from the glare to get a better view.
The light show was extremely bright in Squeaking Point, north-west Tasmania. (Supplied: Josh Barrett)
Kim Hudson’s photo of from Orford on Tasmania’s east coast. (Supplied: Kim Hudson)
Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain is a favourite spot to catch the southern lights.
Jai Moyle’s photograph was taken at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania.
In parts of Victoria, the colours were particularly bright.
Pea Soup Beach, Port Fairy, Victoria. (Supplied: Jason Dargan Photography)
Catheryne Hore’s image from Inverloch, Victoria. (Supplied: Catheryne Hore)
Arun Chandran, who runs the Aurora Australis Facebook page, told ABC Radio Hobart the geomagnetic storm was particularly fast, with the coronal mass ejection only taking 24 hours to hit Earth.
Liv Brock was lucky enough to capture the aurora australis and bioluminescence in the water at Goat Bluff.
Liv Brock’s photo of the coloured lights and bioluminescence glow on the foreshore. (Supplied: Liv Brock)
