Have you ever dreamt of witnessing a celestial ballet painted across the night sky? I have for many years. And on the night of 11 May 2024 my dream came true!
The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, is a breathtaking natural phenomenon that transforms the southern hemisphere’s darkness into a canvas of vibrant colors.
These shimmering curtains of greens, reds, and violets are caused by collisions between charged particles from the sun’s solar wind and atoms in Earth’s atmosphere.
While the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) receive more fanfare, the Southern Lights put on an equally mesmerizing show in the Southern Hemisphere. Tasmania, Australia’s most southerly state, is one of the best places on Earth to witness this unforgettable display.
The Southern Lights can be enjoyed throughout the year. However, the chances of witnessing a spectacular display are higher during the colder months (May to August) and around the spring equinox in September.
On the 10th and 11th May 2024 there were stunning auroras in both hemispheres that could easily be seen, some with just the naked eye. This created a perfect opportunity for many people to see an aurora for the first time, like me!
Here are the best of my photos of the aurora from my mobile phone. They’re not that great, but it was still exciting to see one for the first time. It’s said that there will be more opportunities to see an aurora during this year, I can’t wait!
How about you? Did you get to see an aurora during that special event in May?
Until next time,
Sue
My Wild Australia 
We went down to the beach in Adelaide but to me it just seemed like a narrow strip of cloud resting on the horizon. A woman standing next to me was impressed with the colour in her phone photo so I felt a bit confused. Maybe later we’ll get another chance to see it.
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With the naked eye, I could see a slight sheen in the sky, but it was only when I pointed my phone camera at it that I could see any colours. Hopefully you get a better experience next time because it felt truly amazing to see it.
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How wonderful Sue to actually get to see them. This is one of the advantages of living in Tassie. I have always wanted to see them. My friend told me years ago how he and his family would lie on the grassy hill at night and watch the display.
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It truly was a wonder to see, I hope I get to see more of them.
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Hello from Winnipeg, Canada! Great job with the photos!
We had a great display here as well.
Here is a video I made, if you want to see what what happened on my end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf3cKAQpARs
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Hi Cendrine! Your photos are great! I love the greenish colour against the deep blue night sky, magical! 🙂
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Thanks!
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