Love chasing the Southern Lights? Well, charge your camera batteries and stay cautiously optimistic, because the aurora australis might be visible in Melbourne soon. The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) has issued an aurora watch in response to solar activity, which is expected to impact the Earth within the next 48 hours. This could possibly trigger geomagnetic activity, and visible auroras at night.
What is an aurora watch?
An aurora watch is a warning of up to 48 hours. They are issued by the ASWFC when there is a significant coronal mass ejection or coronal hole that is likely to lead to geomagnetic activity. A coronal mass ejection occurs when clouds of plasma and magnetic fields erupt in the Sun’s outer atmosphere. When these particles, carried by solar wind, interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, they create the dancing colours of red, purple and green.
In this case, there was a coronal mass ejection earlier this week, and a moderate geomagnetic storm (G2) has been forecast for today (March 19), tomorrow and Saturday. Under G2 conditions, auroras can be visible from Tasmania and southern Victoria, including Melbourne.
If there is significant geomagnetic activity, the ASWFC will change their notice to an aurora alert. These alerts are issued when conditions are favourable for seeing the Southern Lights, and they usually indicate which parts of Australia the aurora will be visible.
So, keep your eyes on the website, and get ready for a cosmic show. You can also check out other handy websites and resources, like Space Weather Live or Aurora Hunters Victoria.
Finding aurora australis in Melbourne
To see the Southern Lights, you’ll need to rug up, then find somewhere dark with a view to the south. Looking out over the ocean is a particularly good plan, because it’s flat and you don’t have to worry about light pollution getting in the way. But, if you can’t make it to the coast, you can still see the aurora inland, as long as there aren’t any obstructions like mountains or buildings blocking the view.
Allow time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. This can range from ten to twenty minutes. You’ll also need to adjust your expectations, because what your eyes see and what your camera sees are different. While you might be expecting vivid colours of greens and reds, the naked eye will more likely see moments of brightness, like a flickering white light. Cameras, which have a longer exposure, can pick up the colours to create the spectacular photos you’re more familiar with. When the particles interact with oxygen in our atmosphere, they give off a green and red light, whereas nitrogen creates gorgeous hues of blue and purple.
Keep in mind that this is a natural phenomenon, and sightings aren’t guaranteed.
For ideas on good places to see the aurora australis in Victoria, click here.
