Tonight, residents in mid to southern regions of Australia are in for a celestial treat as the aurora australis is expected to light up the skies due to a strong geomagnetic storm currently affecting Earth.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Space Weather Forecasting Centre has announced an “aurora watch,” indicating that the dazzling display may be visible in the upcoming hours.

Dr. Rebecca Allen from the Swinburne Space Technology and Industry Institute explained that the vibrant spectacle could be seen as far east as Sydney and as far west as Perth, beginning around 8 pm AEST as the sun sets.

“There’s a slightly better chance for those on the east coast to catch a glimpse, as the activity might peak during that time,” Dr. Allen noted.

For the best viewing experience, she recommended heading to locations with an unobstructed view of the horizon, such as beaches or bays.

“It’s going to be a bit trickier for us in the urban environments,” she said. 

Auroras can be observed from as far as 1000km away if it is bright and the conditions are favourable. 

It is quite rare for them to be visible over large parts of Australia.

Auroras are caused by particles from a geomagnetic storm interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field, which Allen said creates “beautiful curtains of light”. 

Solar wind or flares typically spark these storms.

NASA has recorded a large solar flare in the past 24 hours. 

Allen said the sun is currently at its most active part of the 11-year solar cycle and is peaking.

“So that’s why we’re seeing so much aurora activity,” she said.

Allen said there have been more reports of aurora activity than ever before, which has set a “new tone for what we expect” in the coming years.

“We haven’t seen anything like this before,” she said. 

“What’s to say during the next solar cycle that there couldn’t even be more of these flares?”