{"id":877424,"date":"2026-10-10T12:10:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T12:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/877424\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T12:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T12:10:21","slug":"how-to-see-the-aurora-australis-tonight-russh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/877424\/","title":{"rendered":"How to see the aurora australis tonight- RUSSH"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your weekend plans<\/a> are looking bleak, we might have something to get you excited. A possible aurora australis is on the cards for parts of Australia and New Zealand<\/a> this Friday night \u2013 with a forecast currently spanning Tasmania, Victoria and parts of New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia and Western Australia. NOAA has forecast a G2 storm which could trigger an aurora australis roughly around midnight on Friday 9 October \u2013 potentially on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 too.<\/p>\n

Here’s how to catch it.<\/p>\n

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When and where can you see the aurora australis?<\/p>\n

For Australian skywatchers, Friday 9 October is the main night to watch.<\/p>\n

As for location, the further south you are, the better your chances. Tasmania, Victoria and New Zealand are currently among the best-placed states, while parts of NSW, the ACT, South Australia and Western Australia could also have a chance if geomagnetic activity reaches the forecast levels.<\/p>\n

In terms of optimising your chances, your best bet is to find somewhere away from city lights with a clear view towards the southern horizon. If you’re not near a dark sky reserve, stretches of beach and open fields work well.<\/p>\n

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What time should you look up?<\/p>\n

The aurora can’t be seen during daylight, so even if the geomagnetic storm arrives earlier in the day, you’ll need to wait until darkness falls. As a general guide, wait until around 75 to 90 minutes after sunset. Based on sunset times for October 9, that’s approximately:<\/p>\n

Sydney: 8:18\u20138:33pm AEDT
\nMelbourne: 8:46\u20139:01pm AEDT
\nCanberra: 8:27\u20138:42pm AEDT
\nHobart: 8:40\u20138:55pm AEDT
\nAdelaide: 8:39\u20138:54pm ACDT
\nPerth: 7:38\u20137:53pm AWST
\nAuckland: 8:46\u20139:01pm NZDT
\nWellington: 8:49\u20139:04pm NZDT
\nChristchurch: 9:00\u20139:15pm NZDT
\nDunedin: 9:10\u20139:25pm NZDT<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that these times are a guide for when the sky should be dark enough to start looking, not a prediction that the aurora will appear at exactly that time. Current prediction say the aurora could start to manifest at approximately midnight. But the forecast can change<\/a>. We will update the times if they change.<\/p>\n

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What causes the aurora australis and what does it actually look like?<\/p>\n

In general terms, an aurora australis is caused by a coronal mass ejection \u2013 essentially a cloud of charged solar material produced by the sun, which then travels towards Earth.<\/p>\n

It won’t necessarily cause the sky to turn neon green, but can instead result in a faint glow low on the horizon.\u00a0 Stronger geomagnetic activity can bring more obvious greens, pinks and purples, but there is no guarantee of a dramatic light show.<\/p>\n

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Feature image by Kush Dwivedi<\/a> via Unsplash.<\/p>\n

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