Rare Southern Lights Display Stuns Australia Amid Geomagnetic Storm

A rare and stunning display of Southern Lights illuminated the skies over Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, and the Surf Coast in Australia. The mesmerizing spectacle unfolded amidst an intense geomagnetic storm, classified as a G5 on the global scale.

Normally confined to polar regions, the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) were seen as far as the UK and other parts of Europe, while the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) extended their reach to various southern states of Australia and other regions in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre, part of the Bureau of Meteorology, issued an early warning about the G5 geomagnetic storm. The event was triggered by four Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) observed on specific dates.

Geomagnetic storms, caused by fluctuations in solar wind and solar eruptions like CMEs, disrupt Earth’s magnetosphere. These disturbances propel charged particles from the sun into Earth’s atmosphere, interacting with gases to produce the vibrant hues of auroras.

The G-scale measures the intensity of these disturbances, with G1 indicating minor disruptions and G5 representing extreme conditions. At G5 levels, impacts can include widespread power grid disturbances and disruptions to satellite services.

During the celestial display, a string of Starlink satellites passed overhead around 7:15 PM, adding a technological touch to the natural phenomenon. These satellites, part of Elon Musk‘s project, were launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.