Geomagnetic storm could light up southern Australia night skies tonight with an aurora australis
Some lucky parts of Australia may witness the dazzling aurora australis, also known as the "southern lights", later tonight.
The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC), via the Bureau of Meteorology, issued an aurora alert for parts of southern Australia.
The colourful geomagnetic storm may be visible during the late hours of this evening, between 10pm and 2am, in Tasmania and southern Victoria.
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Aurora Australis captured in Coles Bay, Tasmania. Bureau of Meteorology/Sophie Fazackerley
Other areas on the southern coast of Australia could see the skies light up, but these areas – including southern Australia – may only capture the geomagnetic activity through a camera lens.
Space weather forecaster Dr Jeanne Young said aurora australis was best seen by the naked eye on a clear night with no bright moon.
"To be truthful, nothing beats seeing the aurora with the naked eye," she said.
The prime locations to observe the southern lights are by a dark beach or a hill with minimal light pollution.
They can be visible for about three hours and midnight is the ideal time to catch it.
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Aurora australis at Island Point Reserve. Brandon Pasowicz
Aurora australis is most likely to occur during the months of May and September.
The ASWFC also issued an alert earlier today about increased geomagnetic activity due to a coronal mass ejection.
A coronal mass ejection is a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's corona.
Auroras, like the southern lights, are then produced when the particles of these solar winds and the earth's magnetic field collide, causing a geomagnetic storm.
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Tasmanian photographer, Toby Schrapel, captured these incredible shots of Aurora Australis at Hartz Mountain National Park in Tasmania. Supplied/Toby Schrapel
Tonight's storm isn't predicted to be particularly strong.
The ASWFC said the rating for this evening will reach G4, the most minor being G1 and the most extreme being G5.
Places like Tasmania and Antarctica are prime viewing spots for the aurora australis, because of the proximity to the south pole.
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