The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, has captivated imaginations with its ethereal dance across the night sky for centuries.
For lucky observers, its vibrant hues, from emerald green to fiery pinks and reds, paint a mesmerising spectacle, leaving onlookers stunned. Read on and find out more about what causes the aurora, and how can you witness it yourself.
The science behind the aurora
Electromagnetic radiation and charged particles streaming from the Sun cause the spectacle of the Aurora Australis. Solar storms eject these particles at high speeds towards Earth, where they interact with our planet’s electromagnetic field.
As they enter our atmosphere, they collide with gas molecules, exciting them and releasing energy in the form of light.
According to NASA, the colour “depends on which gas is being excited by the electrons and on how much energy is being exchanged.” Oxygen produces a greenish-yellow or a red light; nitrogen generally gives off a blue light.
Where and when
The Aurora Australis is less frequently seen than the Northern Lights, but if you’re lucky or persistent, you can witness it in various parts of Australia, particularly areas closer to the South Pole.
Discover Tasmania tells visitors to their site that their state is “arguably the best place in the world” to witness the aurora. However, people do also record sightings in South Australia and Victoria, and although it is rarely visible to the naked eye, people do occasionally see it in the southernmost parts of Western Australia.
If you’re keen to chase the elusive Southern Lights, your best window is within the equinoxes – March and September. During these periods, the solar wind weakens the Earth’s magnetic field, which allows more charged particles to enter the atmosphere, increasing the chances of an aurora display.
While the aurora is a natural phenomenon, and sightings are never guaranteed, we’ve listed for you some terrific Facebook Groups to join and apps to load up for the best local information.
A historical glimpse
The Royal Astronomical Society says there is “some confusion and uncertainty” around the earliest datable observation of the Aurora Australis. The authors confidently assert that the earliest known conjugate sightings of the aurora occurred during Captain James Cook’s first voyage to Australia, on the night of 16 September 1770.
The confusion comes from other authors claiming the first observation happened during Cook’s second voyage in February 1773. There is even further debate surrounding reports of a sizeable auroral display allegedly seen in the skies over Chile every night for several months of 1640.
Since then, various historical accounts mention the phenomenon as a source of both awe and superstition.
But whether it was 1770, 1773, or a century before, Aboriginal Australians are the world’s first astronomers. Around the country, many groups of traditional owners have their own stories and interpretations of the Southern Lights, weaving them into their rich cultural tapestry.
Indigenous Australian aurora perspectives
Aboriginal Australians have observed and interpreted the Aurora Australis for thousands of years.
Because the groups are incredibly diverse and richly varied, these interpretations similarly vary across the country, reflecting unique cultural landscapes and beliefs. While some people interpret it as a bad omen, others associate it with spiritual entities or significant celestial events.
Astrophysicist Duane Hamacher is the author of The First Astronomers, written in collaboration with First Nations elders and knowledge holders. Hamacher’s 2013 research paper Aurorae in Australian Aboriginal Traditions (published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage), says that since the Aurora Australis typically appears red in the sky, the display is traditionally associated with fire, which may include flames, smoke or ashes.
Hamacher describes how the Pitjantjatjarra people near Uluru tell of long-ago hunters breaking a taboo by cooking a sacred emu. “They saw smoke rise to the south, towards the land of Tjura (a Pitjantjatjarra word meaning ‘glowing light visible at night ‘). This was the glow of the Aurora Australis, which the Pitjantjatjarra believed were poisonous flames. In the story, the flames served as a portent of punishment to the hunters.”
Hamacher also recounts how the Gunai of Gippsland, eastern Victoria, “perceived aurorae as bushfires in the spirit world” and also attributed them to the fire of an ancestral hero warning of a coming catastrophe.”
Remembered aurora
Throughout history, particularly vibrant Aurora Australis displays have left a lasting impact.
The ‘solar storm of 1859’ came with gold miners in Australia reporting “Lights of every imaginable colour were issuing from the southern heavens,” and the January 1938 geomagnetic storm painted the skies around the world with aurora. At the time, local newspapers described “splendid aurorae” seen as far north as Norfolk Island.
But you don’t have to go that far back: in December 2023, a solar storm made the Aurora Australis visible as far north as inland New South Wales, and a month before, a similar event produced stunning sights along WA’s southern coast and Wheatbelt.
Everyday awe
While spectacular displays grab headlines, we don’t have to look to history books for first-hand accounts from everyday Australians who’ve experienced the magic.
Perth photographer Nathan Dobbie told ABC News in November 2023: “It’s exciting, not often you can actually see it with your eyes as well as a camera,” describing a pale red and “massive pillars of lights stretching up the sky and moving across the sky.”
Mandurah-based astrophotographer Suzanne Jones told Stargazers Club WA: “I’ll never forget the night myself and my daughters saw the aurora for the first time. Chasing aurora is a game of patience; most nights we see nothing but on some special occasions we are treated to the show of a lifetime.”
Stargazer Neil Francis told Stargazers Club WA how he saw the Aurora Australis at Lake Clifton, near Mandurah. Neil described ” colour and moving curtains of light obvious to the eye,” and said it was changing minute by minute.
Capturing the barely visible
Discover Tasmania is clear that aurora chasers should know what to expect in advance, explaining the celestial event can play hard to get. They say, “images of green beams and purple glows are not the norm, and sometimes they’re barely visible to the naked eye.”
This is most often the case in Western Australia. What aurora chasers see unaided is usually more like faint grey or white wisps of cloud. Astrophotographer Roger Groom says on his blog: “Sometimes when I have seen the Aurora in the hills of Perth I have initially mistaken them for the spotlight of kangaroo shooters in the bush. It is only when a photograph is taken that the colour usually shows.”
Suzanne Jones agrees: “Due to our latitude it is rare that we can see the aurora with the naked eye, perhaps only once a year,” she says. “For the best chance to see the vibrant colours of the Southern Lights you will need to use a camera or smart phone.”
Before you worry about photography equipment, find yourself a dark sky location, an area with minimal light pollution, and a clear view of the vast southern horizon. If you are lucky enough to witness the Aurora Australis and want to capture the sight for posterity and Instagram cred, here are some friendly photography tips.
With a DSLR camera, make sure you have a tripod, and you’ll need to be able to manually adjust your settings to allow maximum light into the camera.
Equipment and suggested settings
- Tripod: you need to keep the camera still and stable for several minutes; a timer delay is also helping
- lens: a wide-angle lens, somewhere between 14 and 24mm, is recommended, with the widest possible aperture (usually around f/2.8)
- ISO: around 1600-3200 is recommended
- shutter speed: from 10 to 20 seconds is usually suggested, depending on the brightness of the aurora; the fainter the light, the longer you’ll need the shutter open. But if you’re photographing faster, brighter aurora, you’ll require a faster speed to capture the detail without star trails
- white balance: An often overlooked detail, personal tastes vary, but between 3500 and 4000 is best
- focus: You can zoom in on a bright, distant object and focus until it’s sharp or set your lens to infinity, but make sure you can keep it locked once it’s set.
Beyond the lens: embracing the present moment
Capturing the Aurora Australis through photography can be rewarding, and the ensuing social media likes is a little addictive, but remember the dark sky’s magic is in being present and experiencing it first-hand.
Disconnect from your devices, let your eyes adjust to the dark, and immerse yourself. Enjoy the night air, listen to the silence, and let yourself be transported. The Aurora Australis invites us to disconnect from the everyday, reconnect with nature, and appreciate the breathtaking beauty surrounding us.
You might not see anything more than a ‘ghostly’ glow or faint wisps, but enjoying dark skies somewhere quiet is an experience all in itself.
If you get a chance, get out there and chase the Southern Lights. Head to country WA, find dark skies and the top Astrotourism towns, but remember to take a moment and enjoy the experience.
FIND YOUR IDEAL STARGAZING DESTINATION
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Jay Chesters
Author
