Where to see the aurora australis in melbourne time out. The aurora australis are one of the most impressive natural displays south of the equator. Best time to see aurora australis in new zealand 2020 rove. If there is strong aurora australis activity over the southern ocean, many hundreds of km away from australasian landmass, you can often still see it from the shore. Even better, if the conditions are right it can be one of the most spectacular places to see the aurora australis in tasmania. With a blatant show of electioneering, the aurora australis danced high above the residents of lake tekapo this week new zealand travel blog stargazing tours new zealands aurora australis southern lights. New zealand is a great place to see the southern lights. Tasmania is the obvious choice, and youll want to aim for places away from city lights. In the sky, an aurora australis takes the shape of a. Mar 29, 2019 if you are wondering if there is any difference between the northern lights and the southern lights, this page is designed to give you the answer.
What causes this celestial light show, and from where can you see them. Ask any aurora australis hunter what the best place in australia is. Home to the worlds largest darksky reserve the aoraki mackenzie. Aurora australis forecast, includes immediate, real time info on southern lights viewing. May 16, 2019 aurora australis lights up the sky for those on southern seaboard. Even though tasmania is further south than the mainland, it can be harder to see an aurora in summer because it doesnt get dark until 10 or 11 oclock at night.
Jun 14, 2019 surrounding light pollution, and its more northerly location, can make it harder to see the aurora australis in areas like breamlea in victoria, but if there is enough cosmic activity and the. Because these lights are can only be seen over the southern polar region, it can be difficult to find a good location to see this remarkable spectacle. Australians are so privileged to be able to see the southern lights, margaret said. Photographers across australia will tell you that aurora australis is visible from many places, but your best chance of witnessing this phenomenon is to be as far south as possible which means tasmania. Stargazing tours new zealands aurora australis southern. These include areas of northern greenland, the scandinavian coast, siberia brrr. Every year people flock to iceland and norway to view the spectacle in the arctic circle, but its relatively unknown southern equal can be a surprising delight and well worth the trip to tasmania, where it can best be viewed.
And these are the best viewing spots around the country for the aurora australis from march to september. To see aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere, the best time of year is novemberearly march. The aurora australis tasmania alert now facebook group is also excellent for tipping off group members about aurora activity, as is their sister page aurora australis tasmania. The 11 best places to see the southern lights in tasmania. Take an 85minute drive to view the aurora australis from cape schanck at the southernmost tip of the mornington peninsula. The five best places to see the southern lightsaurora australis. We are aurora watchers ourselves and our goal is to provide other people with the information they need in order to see the wonderful aurora australis. Aurora australis aka the southern lights lights up the sky in red, orange, pink and green. And it is but when it comes to the aurora australis, likely means possible. Inspired by folklore and the wild places of the world, aurora australis present cinematic new music by joe mcevilly piano and natasha trinkle. So the best places to see auroras are near the magnetic poles.
Your best chance at witnessing the aurora australis is to be as far south as possible. Aurora australis southern lights tasmania travel guide. There are a number of places on new zealands south island. The only slight downer is that cradle mountain is a lot further north than hobart, and this means the southern lights need to be pretty strong for you to see them above the iconic silhouette of the mountain and dove lake. The best times and locations to see the southern lights in new. The south island offers a number of great observatory areas to enjoy spectacular displays of multicolored southern lights. Mar 04, 2018 timing night is the best time to see the aurora australis in tasmania.
The best time of year to see the lights is around winter. This is where watchers post uptothesecond accounts of aurora. Unlike aurora borealis, which is subject to extreme seasonal light changes, the southern lights can be viewed all year round although most commonly during. Oct 14, 2009 aurora australis also known as the southern lights, and southern polar lights is the southern hemisphere counterpart to the aurora borealis. Aurora australis may be lesser known thanaurora borealis the northern lights, but it is just as impressive. Aurora borealis or northern lights and aurora australis or southern lights are natural electric phenomena that create bright, colorful and dramatic light displays in the sky. Called the southern lights, or aurora australis, its the southern cousin to the aurora borealis and can best be seen from the most southern of.
Hues of red, yellow, green and more can be found above glaciers, mountains, and oceans. If we can get even 1 person to see the aurora who otherwise wouldnt have, we are happy. At the south pole, its called aurora australis, while in the north the phenomenon is termed aurora borealis. Best time to see aurora australis in tasmania 2020 rove. Best places to see the southern lights aurora australis. The best times and months to see aurora australis although auroras happen all year round, the best time to see them in new zealand is during the winter months march toseptember. The north pole aurora is called the aurora borealis and the aurora at the south pole is called the aurora australis. The 16 best places to see the southern lights in the world. Everything to know about the southern lights australian. All you need for a sighting is a broad horizon away from artificial light, a decent camera and good timing. May 14, 2019 your best chance at witnessing the aurora australis is to be as far south as possible. Today her facebook group, aurora australis tasmania, has more than 15,000 members, but the fact that tasmania just might be the best vantage spot in the world to view the southern lights remains largely unknown. The aurora australis, otherwise known as the southern lights, is the lesser known counterpart to its famous alternative, the northern lights.
The aurora australis tasmania facebook page is a great way to keep up with realtime sightings. Strong enough solar activity the sun is always emitting solar discharges. The aurora borealis, in the north, and the aurora australis, in the south, are two of the most exciting spectacles you can witness on earth. The aurora australis, like its northern sister, is very difficult to predict. Best places to see the southern lights aurora australis tourism. Ushuaia is closer to the antarctic circle than tasmania, south georgia and stewart island. Increased solar activity will bring potential for the aurora australis dramatic multicoloured light displays to occur in skies over southern parts of the country. Apr, 2020 aurora australis southern lights forecast for monday, april, 2020 latest forecast in minutes, the aurora will be quiet when and where are the southern lights tonight in australia and new zealand. Famous aurora australis mesmerizes with its alienlike green colors mixed with pink and yellowish hues poured over the night sky of new zealand. The aurora australis is the southern cousin to the northern lights queenstown, new zealand. When this happens, these atoms light up and we can see the aurora phenomena. Following these three should give you a very good sense of when you might see the aurora.
Depending on the level of recent solar activity, there. For this reason, we choose to use hobarts geophysical data sources as they are the first indications of any strong aurora activity. Aurora australis was written during the british imperial antarctic expedition or the nimrod expedition 190809 led by ernest shackleton. Produced entirely by members of the expedition, the book was edited by shackleton, illustrated with lithographs and etchings by george marston, printed by ernest joyce and frank wild, and bound by bernard day. The aurora australis is more commonly seen in australia around the time of maxima in the. Jun 26, 2018 new zealand is a great place to see the southern lights. This results in an oval ring around each magnetic pole where auroras occur. Also called the aurora australis, the southern lights are caused by solar activity striking earths atmosphere. Whats an aurora and how do you spot one in australia. Its said to be the southernmost city on the globe, located at the southern tip of argentina source. The 4 best places to see the southern lights in patagonia. The conditions at sunrise and sunset are normally too bright for an aurora to be visible, and a full moon will also reduce your chances of seeing the aurora australis. Other activities to do here include visiting the cape schanck lighthouse and its museum. Solar wind reacts with the gases in our atmosphere, which creates the electrical wonder commonly known as the southern lights.
You can see the southern lights when it is dark, and there are no clouds in the sky. Here are the main things you need to know about the best times and locations to see the southern lights in new zealand. To have a successful night of aurora watching, a few things need to come together at the same time. Jul 29, 2017 mount wellington, tasmania philkittistock ask any aurora australis hunter what the best place in australia is to see the southern lights, and chances are good that he or she would point you to. The best places to see the southern lights thrifty nomads. Youll be well away from city lights, and have a great view of the southern sky if the aurora is there. Timing night is the best time to see the aurora australis in tasmania. Check the aurora australis tasmania facebook group for real time alerts, and download the aurora forecast app to forecast when an aurora is likely in the next few days.
Aurora australis is known to light up new zealands skies with green and pink displays. They accelerate along the field lines, converging toward the magnetic poles from all directions. If you want to see the aurora australis in their namesake location, youll need to visit victoria. The best places to see the southern lights travel smithsonian. Jun 27, 2018 the top destinations to see the southern lights are the southernmost destinations in the world, including tasmania. Dec 18, 2017 today her facebook group, aurora australis tasmania, has more than 15,000 members, but the fact that tasmania just might be the best vantage spot in the world to view the southern lights remains largely unknown. Tasmania is the australian state from which the aurora australis is most commonly seen, as it is closest to the normal location of the auroral oval. One of the most beautiful night time displays is happening but you will need to live in the right part of australia to see it. The widest part of the aurora is when the sun is on the opposite side of the earth to where you are, so around midnight is best. The best times and locations to see the southern lights in. Checklist for awesome aurora australis viewing a combination of these things will give you a night to remember. The best places to watch aurora australis are to be found as south as possible. Some of the favourite spots are hope beach, howden, rosny hill, dodges ferry, tinderbox, seven mile beach, and cockle creek some 120 kilometres from hobart on tasmanias far southern tip. The aurora australis, or the southern lights, is one of natures most impressive displays.
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