Tonight’s Sky Might Light Up with Aurora Australis

Heads up, Australia! There’s a chance we might get to see a beautiful light show in the sky tonight. The Bureau of Meteorology, also known as BOM, is forecasting some significant geomagnetic activity that could lead to displays of the famous aurora australis.

The geomagnetic storm is expected to be at its most powerful on Tuesday evening. BOM has mentioned that they will send out an aurora alert if the conditions are right and significant activity occurs, but it’s not guaranteed that we’ll see the lights.

Just a few months back, many Australians were mesmerized by a stunning aurora that graced our skies, caused by one of the largest geomagnetic storms in decades. Now, we could be in for a repeat performance as early as tonight, July 30.

According to BOM, this evening’s storm will be fueled by large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun, a phenomenon known as coronal mass ejections. When these particles slam into Earth’s magnetic field, some flow down to the poles and can create the mesmerizing displays of light, usually in shades of pink, red, green, and violet.

Despite the excitement, BOM has cautioned that seeing the auroras isn’t a sure thing. Aurora enthusiasts might want to keep their eyes peeled to the skies as they wait for updates from BOM.

Back in May, viewers saw some astonishing auroras thanks to a powerful storm, rates of which are categorized from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). The storm that lit up the night was rated as a G5, making it a rare sight. This time, the forecast for this week rates as G2 (moderate).

The likelihood of auroras occurring rises during the solar maximum, a phase in the solar cycle that happens every 11 years. Experts expect this maximum to take place in 2024, which means we might have more chances to catch the show.

To explain the science behind these beautiful displays, BOM explained that auroras are triggered by solar wind, which consists of electrically charged particles flowing from the Sun toward our planet. Most of these particles are stopped by Earth’s protective magnetic field, but some make their way down at the poles where they can cause the spectacular light effects.

As for the best places to catch a glimpse tonight, folks in southern Victoria and Western Australia might have the best chance. Dr. Brett Carter from RMIT University suggests keeping an eye on BOM and social media for real-time updates.

But be warned—exact predictions of weather events like this can be tricky due to limited research and prediction models. As Dr. Carter said, “There’s no way to know for sure how this space weather event is going to play out.” So, let’s stay tuned and see what tonight has in store for us!