The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) has issued an aurora alert, indicating a good chance of seeing the southern lights tonight in certain parts of the country.
According to Andrew Jackling, a space weather forecaster, the display will be visible in Tasmania and southern Victoria, with the likelihood being low for South Australia’s skies. However, if you’re in South Australia, you might need to capture the aurora through a camera lens as it will likely be too faint to see with the naked eye.
The best viewing time is between 10pm and 2am, with the display caused by geomagnetic storms triggered by coronal mass ejections from the Sun. The storms disrupt Earth’s magnetic field, causing atoms in the atmosphere to emit bright, colorful light.
While this geomagnetic storm is relatively weak, it will still provide a stunning light show across the country. However, the Australian region has not yet reached G1 level on the global geomagnetic activity scale, which means the display might not be as intense as the one seen in May when a G5-level storm hit the Earth.
To increase your chances of seeing the southern lights, head south to locations with low light pollution and get an unobstructed view of the horizon. Keep an ear out for geomagnetic storm updates and sign up for ASWFC alerts to stay informed about future displays.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-17/aurora-australis-alert-southern-lights-where-to-see/104359510