Australia Weather News

Were you lucky enough to see the aurora australis last night?

Also known as the "southern lights", the aurora is typically a spectacular light show triggered when eruptions of solar material cause geomagnetic storms in Earth's atmosphere. 

The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) issued an aurora alert yesterday afternoon, signalling to aurora hunters to head for the hills (or anywhere they could get a good view of the night sky).

While the brightness of the impending full moon may have dulled the celestial display, we've still seen a bunch of dazzling photos come through. 

Here's a snap Jeff Chen took over a paddock inCallington, South Australia.

This image was taken just after 9pm ACST, when the sky was clear of clouds:

When we spoke to ASWFC space weather forecaster Andrew Jackling yesterday afternoon, it wasn't looking as if people in South Australia would be able to see the aurora unless it was through a camera lens. 

That's because, at the time, the geomagnetic storm behind last night's display was looking relatively weak. 

And the brightness of the moon was expected to make the display difficult to see with the naked eye. 

Lachy Riley caught this glimpse inAdelaide:

"The moon ruined it but still got the aurora via camera," Riley said on social media. 

Here's a photo taken inthe west Gippsland area of Victoria:

And despite the challenges the moon posed, Matt Wood atthe Perth Observatorywas able to capture a glimpse of the show in Western Australia. 

Look just above the horizon in the centre of this video for a blink-and-you'll-miss-it flash of purple:

So even though an aurora alert has been issued, it doesn't guarantee a spectacular light show. 

"I didn't get any photos of the aurora last night as it was too cloudy where I am and the moon was too bright," Sharyn Radcliff said. 

Conditions were better inNorth West Tasmaniaa week ago. 

Here are a few snaps Radcliff took on Thursday night:

Those photos were Radcliff's first attempt at aurora photography and were taken using a smartphone — which goes to show that you don't need specialist equipment or years of experience to capture the beauty of the southern lights. 

Why is a bright moon bad for aurora hunters?

It dulls the glow of an aurora.

When the moon is full — or close to full, like it was last night — the glow of the moon is much stronger. 

It makes for natural light pollution, overpowering the glow of the aurora and reducing its visibility to the naked eye.  

Ideally, an aurora would coincide with a new moon, because the night sky would be much darker. 

But let's not be negative about a full moon, especially because it'll put on quite a show for skygazers this evening when the harvest supermoon rises above the horizon. 

Why is the moon so bright?

Becauseit's a full moontonight.

But tonight's full moon also coincides with a phenomenon known as a supermoon, which is whenthe Moon is slightly closer to the Earth than usual.

That means it looks a little bit bigger and a bit brighter to us here on Earth.

The Moon gets closer to Earth because its orbit is slightly oval-shaped instead of perfect circular, so there are times in its orbit when it's closer to us. 

We usually get three or four supermoons a year.

Why is it called the harvest supermoon?

It'sa Northern-Hemisphere-centric nickname. 

Tonight's supermoon is called the harvest supermoon because the other side of the world is heading into autumn, which istypically a time for harvesting crops. 

Butit's not an official name, however, with some people in the Northern Hemisphere preferring corn moon or barely moon. 

So there's nothing stopping you from referring to it as something more specific to the Southern Hemisphere.

How can I see the harvest supermoon?

Go outside andlook at the horizon at sundown. 

It's best to get an unobstructed view of the horizon — whether that be with a city skyline, the ocean or a long stretch of bushland. 

Turn your back to the setting sun andfix your gaze on the eastern sky, to try to see the moon as it rises for the night. 

But you'll be able to see a similar effect when the moon sets very early tomorrow morning. 

Here's a snap of the moon above Perth this morning:

How can I be ready for the next aurora australis?

Mr Jackling said tokeep your ears pricked for the mention of a geomagnetic stormin news and weather updates. 

He also recommended signing up for ASWFC alerts via this online portal, so you'll get an email when there's an alert. 

But before you head south, take notes of the G-scale rating, with ranges from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme), because weaker geomagnetic storms can be disappointing. 

"Check the strength of the storm first," Mr Jackling said. 

And start following local aurora chasing or even weather groups so it comes up on your social media feed — the ABC-administered Weather Obsessed Facebook group is a good place to start.

While we saw geomagnetic storms in May and July this year, Mr Jackling says that, statistically speaking, you're more likely to see an aurora in March or September. 

Got pictures to share?

We'd love to see them!

You can post them to the ABC-administered Weather Obsessed Facebook group or you can send them through our form below. 

How do I submit a photo?

Fill out the details in the form below. 

Under the question "Why are you contacting us?" select "To send a news tip or story idea" from the drop-down menu.

Then you'll need to scroll a little further down andupload your photo through the "Attachments" section. 

Don't forget to tell us your name, where you took the photo and the date.