If you’re in SEQ, look up and hope the skies are clear because you may have a rare chance to see the awe-inspiring Aurora Australis tonight, Wednesday, November 12!
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre issued an aurora alert earlier today, forecasting a severe geomagnetic storm that is currently in progress. Usually, Queensland would be too far north to be able to spot the Southern Lights but, due to the strength of this storm residents of southern Queensland may be able to get a look.
Conditions for auroras are ideal when large clouds of plasma are expelled from the sun, and their particles then interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, creating a colourful display of greens, reds, and purples known as the aurora.
This luminous phenomenon is notoriously unpredictable, but there are things you can do to increase your chances, such as keeping an eye on weather and visibility conditions through websites like the Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre or Space Weather Live.
Of course, there is no guarantee that SEQ residents will be able to see the aurora australis, but those closer to the border may have more of an opportunity. It’s also not a hopeless endeavour: the Southern Lights were visible in Queensland as recently as June, when they could be seen as far north as Ipswich, Springbrook and Lake Moogerah.
Capturing the light show on film in a dark spot — remember to check for light pollution — may be your best bet, as long exposure settings allow cameras to pick up colours that are sometimes not visible or very faint to the naked eye.
If you want to give it a try, find somewhere dark with a view to the south, with a view as unobstructed as you can find. Allow time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. This can range from ten to twenty minutes. As mentioned, if you’ve only seen pictures of the Aurora Australis you may be expecting vivid hues, but it is more likely that you’ll see moving, flickering ribbons of light.
Happy Southern Lights hunting!