‘Severe’ solar storm hits Australia: Aurora australis could be visible in Sydney, Perth as geomagnetic event triggers warnings
A powerful solar storm is about to slam into Earth, bringing stunning night skies to unusual locations. But experts warn it comes with hidden dangers.
Australians could be treated to a rare and dazzling light show on Wednesday night as a powerful solar storm hits Earth.
Experts have told Aussies to prepare for auroras potentially visible as far north as Sydney and Perth.
Astronomer Dr Laura Driessen from the University of Sydney’s Institute for Astronomy said the event is caused by a geomagnetic storm, and occurs when high-energy particles from the Sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field.
The result: aurora australis, also known as the Southern Lights.
“In this case, an active sunspot called AR4274 emitted quite a few coronal mass ejections, or bursts of plasma, in our direction over the last couple of days,” she said.
“The plasma from two of these flares arrived at Earth at around 1pm AEDT today, with another expected later today.”
While G4-level geomagnetic storms occur roughly 100 times every 11-year solar cycle, it is rare for Australians to see auroras triggered by them.
But it’s not all a pretty spectacle.
Dr Driessen warns that the storms can affect satellites and radio communications, and in extreme cases, even cause blackouts.
The current storms are so intense, American and Australian weather bureaus have been forced to issue “severe” warnings.
“If you check out the social media of your choice, you’ll see loads of pics of gorgeous auroras from around the world already! Very exciting!” she said.
“Fingers crossed, we get to see some tonight in Australia, maybe even up in Perth or Sydney. Auroras are notoriously hard to predict, but we have a good chance tonight,” she said.
Swinburne’s Dr Rebecca Allen also suggested heading somewhere dark with a clear view of the southern horizon, such as the beach, just after sunset, for the best chance of spotting the auroras.
If skies stay clear, tonight could bring a rare chance for Australians to see the southern lights dancing overhead.
Originally published as ‘Severe’ solar storm hits Australia: Aurora australis could be visible in Sydney, Perth as geomagnetic event triggers warnings
