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\nShot from Middlemarch, Otago, about 11pm.
\nPhoto: Ian Griffin, T\u016bhura Otago Museum \/ supplied\n<\/p>\n
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\nUnedited photo taken at McCracken\u2019s Rest by Edwin Mabonga.
\nPhoto: Edwin Mabonga \/ supplied\n<\/p>\n
Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki in October told RNZ<\/a> aurora could often be caught on camera, even when they were not visible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n “We’re currently in a pretty high activity period with our sun, and the aurora is a direct result of solar activity interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.”<\/p>\n \nTaieri Plains, Otago, taken on a smartphone and unedited. \nUnedited photo of Clifden Bridge, taken about midnight last night in Otautau. The further south you went – place like Twizel, Southland and Otago – the better the view. Spots with less light pollution worked best.<\/p>\n He said aurora were notoriously hard to predict in terms of how bright they would be, but people could keep an eye on the space weather forecast on the NOAA website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Transpower has lifted the grid emergency that was issued on Wednesday afternoon now the G4 geomagnetic storm – the force behind the aurora – had reduced in severity.<\/p>\n It said in a statement the South Island electricity transmission lines, taken offline as a precaution to prevent damage to equipment, had now been returned to service.<\/p>\n \u202f<\/p>\n There was no impact on consumers’ electricity as a result of the storm.<\/p>\n \nTaken at Woodlands, Southland. \n\u014creti Beach Southland, taken just after midnight. Transpower said this kind of action was standard when space weather reached a particular level. A plan had been developed over several years through work with the University of Otago, international space agencies and others in the electricity industry.<\/p>\n Although New Zealand was well prepared for geomagnetic storms, Transpower said, it was a timely reminder to Kiwis that they should be prepared for a natural disaster or other major event that could interrupt their power supply and damage other infrastructure.<\/p>\n Last week, the National Emergency Management Agency and other affected agencies ran through a test scenario of a solar storm response<\/a> in the Beehive’s bunker, to make sure they are adequately prepared.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nPhoto: Jennifer Gould \/ supplied\n<\/p>\n![\"Unedited](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4JY0JW3_Unedited_photo_of_Clifden_bridge_takeb_about_midnight_last_night_in_Otautau_taken_by_Edwin_M.jpeg\")
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\nPhoto: Edwin Mabonga \/ supplied\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nPhoto: Kelly Gladwin \/ supplied\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nPhoto: Kate Duncan \/ supplied\n<\/p>\n