Aurora australis delights Hobart stargazers, who hope to see Southern Lights again soon

Brilliant waves of green light illuminated the southern sky on Thursday night, transfixing the Hobartians who had endeavoured to catch a glimpse of aurora australis. FULL GALLERY >>

Hobartians lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the stunning aurora australis illuminating the southern sky this week say the experience was “off the show” and “just brilliant”.

On Thursday, the Southern Lights lit up the night, delighting keen stargazers and providing ideal fodder for spectacular photos.

Carmel Gledhill, who runs Hobart Snapshot Tours, said she drove to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington with a friend about 8.30pm, where they had a front-row seat for the aurora.

“Last night was off the show,” she said on Friday. “It was just amazing.”

20+ PHOTOS: Southern Lights thrill Tassie

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Aurora at kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Picture: Carmel Gledhill.

Aurora at kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Picture: Carmel Gledhill.

“You don’t really see a lot of colour. The camera picks those colours up. You see a glow and you can see all the movement. And last night you could see it just coming through in these massive waves.”

Paul Fleming, an avid follower of all things aurora, watched the light show from Tranmere on the Eastern Shore about 10pm on Thursday.

“It’s been pretty quiet the last few years,” he said. “The sun’s been fairly quiet. But it’s awakening again. It’s really great to be seeing (the aurora) again – just brilliant.”

“There’s a lot going on in the world and seeing such a magnificent show – everyone just feels good. There’s a great positive energy and a wonderful vibe among everybody who goes out to see it. Everyone can just enjoy it.”

An aurora is a natural light display that shoots off flickering waves of green, created when fully charged particles burst forth from the sun, bringing about a solar wind

Aurora Alert: Southern lights dazzle Tassie skies

9PM UPDATE: Keen stargazers are in for a treat with an aurora alert issued for Tasmania.

The Bureau of Meterology’s Space Weather Services said the beautiful phenomenon would be visible from Tasmania and the coastline of Victoria.

Forecasters said although the best viewing time is usually between 10pm and 2am the aurora “may be observed during local night time hours in good observations”.

As of 9pm the aurora had been spotted at Bellerive, Randall’s Bay and Tinderbox.

30 minutes Aurora forecast of the southern hemisphere taken at 8pm. Source: www.swpc.noaa.gov

The light show could potentially last anywhere between one to three hours with solar wind parameters reaching a velocity of 674.5km/s.

The Bureau took to Facebook to share some tips with southern light chasers, reminding them to check their satellite viewer before heading out and to travel to a dark beach or hill where you have an unobstructed view to the south for a chance to catch a glimpse.

Zoom in to your part of Tassie on the below map to see the best viewing suggestions for the aurora around you.

Excited stargazers in the Aurora Australis Tasmania Facebook group shared their delight over the forecast, many charging up their camera batteries and sharing advice on the best time and places to catch the lights.

The alert comes after photographers captured gorgeous shots of an impressive sky show earlier this week.

Aurora viewed from Howden. Pic: Sophie Fazackerley.

For more information on the forecasted light show visit the Bureau of Meterology’s website.

Follow @Chelsea Cosgrave