Australia’s southeastern regions were treated to a breathtaking spectacle of the Aurora Australis, ushering in the new year with a stunning light show. On New Year’s Day, the southern lights graced the skies over Tasmania and parts of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales, leaving observers in awe.
From the evening of January 1 through to the early hours of January 2, brilliant streaks of green and purple illuminated the skies. The phenomenon was visible to the naked eye, thanks to clear skies and an intense geomagnetic storm, which combined to produce an extraordinary auroral display. Photos and videos of the lights flooded social media, as many users shared their excitement and wonder.
One user shared a time-lapse video of the Aurora, captured in Perth, Western Australia.
Aurora Timelapse From Last Nights G4 KP8 Solar Storm From Perth, Western Australia Between 10:20pm And 11:00pm ???? #AuroraAustralis #MooningCrew #Perth #PerthNews #PerthWeather #SouthWestWA #SolarStorm #WesternAustralia pic.twitter.com/GnHeParqTi
— Weather WA (@weather_wa) January 1, 2025
Another post had a series of photos of spectacular Aurora Australis, highlighting the strong geomagnetic activity “with the Kp index fluctuating around 6 and 7!”
The sun surprised people who were under a clear sky in Northern Europe with beautiful New Year’s Eve Aurora Borealis. Kp above 5 – at times above 6! The “Australis” variant continues in Australia and New Zealand right now with the Kp index fluctuating around 6 and 7! pic.twitter.com/VTWslGRx9e
— AuroraNotifier (@aurora_notifier) January 1, 2025
The Kp index is a scale used to measure the strength of geomagnetic activity. The higher the Kp index, the stronger the geomagnetic storm.
Here are a few more posts with stunning images of Aurora Australis.
Aurora now
Look south
Huge naked eye beams #Tasmania #auroraaustralis pic.twitter.com/VSimlJqQ4R— Vince Taskunas (@VinceTaskunas) January 1, 2025
Took the Canon EOS 1200D out to Queenstown Airport Tasmania and got these
Aurora Australis 01 01 2025 (@BrownSquirrel) pic.twitter.com/DROqE7PuWU— Courtney Lee (Eli Noah’s Mum) ????x 5 (@CeeEllEss_33) January 1, 2025
Aurora Australis right now. Tasmania. pic.twitter.com/Ow30l4n87K
— James L (@JKyL5) January 1, 2025
In Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, the aurora was so vivid that it was visible despite the usual interference from city lights. The light show dazzled with vibrant hues of green and purple, clearly visible in the urban area, according to ABC News.
I’m up late but wow the Aurora from my window has made it worth it!#tasmania #auroraaustralis pic.twitter.com/voQQjAZHl1
— Chris Bowditch (@chrisbowditch) January 1, 2025
Similarly, residents of Western Australia enjoyed the spectacle in well-lit locations near Perth, where the aurora was visible in its full glory.
Further south, the picturesque town of Margaret River, known for its wine and food tourism, also saw the southern lights illuminate the sky.
The Aurora Australis, which occurs as a result of a geomagnetic storm, is produced when charged particles from the sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field. This interaction causes the atmospheric colours that are visible during such events. With the sun nearing the peak of its 11-year magnetic cycle, solar activity is at an all-time high, resulting in an increased frequency of auroral displays.
