Sydney locals could catch a glimpse of the aurora australis

Not all hope is lost for the stargazers who missed out on seeing the spectacular display of the aurora australis the first time around.

Not all hope is lost for the stargazers who missed out on seeing the spectacular display of the aurora australis on Saturday night. 

Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth residents were treated to a fairytale show of pink and green skies on Saturday, which Aussies described as “dazzling”.

Sadly, Sydney and Canberra residents missed out due to the rainy and cloudy conditions.

While Melburnians were in awe of the green hues they were being treated to, Sydneysiders and Canberra residents were dealing with grey, dull skies.

But there’s a chance those who missed out might be able to see it on Sunday night.

People watch the aurora australis or southern lights caused by a solar storm at Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne. Picture: Paul Crock / AFP

The southern light show was visible from backyards in Melbourne and was in full force because of geomagnetic storm activity. 

Social media users were quick to post about it online 

“I still can’t believe what I saw tonight! Aurora australis dazzled,” someone wrote. 

“I can’t stop smiling,” another shared. 

“I’ve been waiting all my life for this,” another wrote. 

This photo was taken in Noosa. Picture: George Berg Photography

This photo was taken in Seaford. Picture: Supplied

The Bureau of Methodology said that the skies were the strongest Aussies have seen in over 20 years. 

The BOM wrote, “Bright auroras were visible across most of southern Australia and as far north as the Pilbara region of WA.” 

Most excitedly, though, the BOM claimed that Aussies haven’t seen the last of the stunning light displays. 

“This intense geomagnetic storm is forecast to continue through Sunday so that we can expect more aurora activity tonight,”

BOM said to be able to see the light show, you’ll need cloud-free skies, ideally, away from city lights and told Aussies to check for cloud conditions before trying to catch a glimpse. 

Christie Johnson, a senior meteorologist at BOM, told The Guardian that Sydney might be treated to the light show tonight. 

“There is some potential depending on exactly how the system moves. The northern coastal area could be some breaks in the cloud and it might be OK for viewing, inland parts should be OK. Sydney is right on the edge of where we might see,” she advised. 

Australia isn’t the only place being treated to incredible light shows as a result of the extremely rare geomagnetic storms affecting the Earth’s magnetosphere.

On Friday local time, London residents could see the Northern Lights, a sight usually only reserved for the northernmost points of the UK.

The last time an extreme geomagnetic storm hit Earth was in 2003.

Originally published as Sydney locals could catch a glimpse of the aurora australis