Parts of Australia are in line to catch a glimpse of the dramatic Aurora Australis light show this week, says the Bureau of Meteorology.
Peak times to see the display will be between 3-5am over the next few days, but unfortunately for those of us in SA, the best viewing is likely to be in Tasmania and southern Victoria.
According to the BOM’s Dr Zahra Bouya:
“We are currently monitoring two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are large clouds of plasma that are ejected from the sun and travel at high speeds through space. They are both relatively slow moving and our model predictions have them passing over us on 15 and 16 May.
“When this material reaches Earth, most of it is deflected by the planet’s magnetic field. But as the CME passes over the Earth its magnetic field may connect with ours allowing huge amounts of energy to be transferred to our magnetic field, generating geomagnetic storms that can last for two or three days and produce dramatic auroras over successive nights.
“To see the aurora, you’ll need a very dark and clear night so early morning, after the moon sets, between 3am and 5am, is best over the coming days. Headlands or a dark beach are usually the best viewing spots.”
Tonight and tomorrow night will offer the best opportunities for Aurora Australis enthusiasts to catch the dramatic light show. #9News https://t.co/U9IjP9OPne
— Nine News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) May 15, 2019
