Aurora Australis in Victoria: How and where to see it

Some lucky Victorians could catch a glimpse of the amazing Aurora Australis tonight. Here’s how you can see the phenomenon. (Picture: Dale Rogers)

Victorian weather watchers will be setting the alarm early tonight as the stunning coloured lights of Aurora Australis will be visible in parts of the state.

While the auroras are usually best seen in Tasmania, Victorians might actually get a better look, with our weather forecast to be clearer.

The phenomenon was visible last night but clouds got in the way for most people, making tonight your best shot.

STUNNING AURORA GALLERY

Cloud across southern #VIC would have made #AuroraAustralis hard to spot this morning. Better chance of clear skies tonight and tomorrow morning, but some areas may still be cloudy. Keep an eye on where the sky is clear tonight with the infra-red satellite https://t.co/Cc0kZAWQcB pic.twitter.com/YNTq1WgcVQ

— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) May 15, 2019

Bureau meteorologist Philip Landvogt said the forecast was looking better.

“In southern Victoria, cloudy skies are forecast on Wednesday with the best viewing conditions expected on Thursday night when it will be mostly clear with just some isolated fog patches,” he said.

Aurora Australis seen from Phillip Island. Picture: Dale Rogers from Photo Rangers

Mother Nature's awesome light show. Picture: Dale Rogers from Photo Rangers

Bureau of Meteorology space weather expert Dr Zahra Bouya said the auroras are relatively rare for this time in the solar cycle.

“While there is a greater chance that aurora australis enthusiasts may witness the spectacular show of lights this week, it’s never guaranteed.

“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,” Dr Bouya said.

She said they were 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.”

She said as that material passes over the Earth, its magnetic field could connect with ours, which would deliver the geomagnetic storms that produce the dramatic auroras.