Tasmanian Aurora Australis

[Freq Flier 2013]

I was talking to a work colleague and they mentioned that it’s possible to see the Aurora Borealis from the southern most tip of Tasmania.

Can anyone tell me if it occasionally happens or an annual event.
Where is the best spot to see it and when ( I read that July / August are the better months).

We live in Melbourne so it’s a short trip and would be something interesting to do in the next month or so.

 

[RB]

Haven't been but have seen some great photos previously

Aurora Australis - Southern Lights Tasmania - Discover Tasmania

 

[Steady]

I was talking to a work colleague and they mentioned that it’s possible to see the Aurora Borealis from the southern most tip of Tasmania.

Can anyone tell me if it occasionally happens or an annual event.
Where is the best spot to see it and when ( I read that July / August are the better months).

We live in Melbourne so it’s a short trip and would be something interesting to do in the next month or so.

Have a look here

 

[support]

I have updated the thread title to better reflect the actual name.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

I have updated the thread title to better reflect the actual name.

Thanks Admin

 

[drron]

Best place to get info is to join the facebook group-Aurora Australis Tasmania.you will get info on where sightings can be made-it can be all over Tasmania.I saw them from a Dash 8 Descending into DPO.
get a spot with little or no light with a clear view to the south.At present though we are at the low point of the cycle.Sightings should increase to next maximum in 2026.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Have a look here

Thanks, will have a play with the site info.
Is the Aurora as nice in Tasmania as from Finland?

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

Best place to get info is to join the facebook group-Aurora Australis Tasmania.you will get info on where sightings can be made-it can be all over Tasmania.I saw them from a Dash 8 Descending into DPO.
get a spot with little or no light with a clear view to the south.At present though we are at the low point of the cycle.Sightings should increase to next maximum in 2026.

Will join and have a look

 

[RooFlyer]

s the Aurora as nice in Tasmania as from Finland?

Tasmania is nicer than Finland but they and other Scandinavian countries have a better Aurora, at least for the public . Tasmania is 42 degrees South. The south of Finland is about 59 degrees north.

 

[Renato1]

If you live anywhere near the Mornington Peninsula, some people in my astronomical society have seen some magical displays of aurora down there. Problem is that on the rare occasions a bright display occurred, by the time they'd notified others that it was happening and they got there - it was over.

At times of high solar activity, when a solar flare is observed heading our way by satellites, they routinely photograph aurora from down in Flinders, but they are so faint that one needs a time exposure to pick them up.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

If you live anywhere near the Mornington Peninsula, some people in my astronomical society have seen some magical displays of aurora down there. Problem is that on the rare occasions a bright display occurred, by the time they'd notified others that it was happening and they got there - it was over.

At times of high solar activity, when a solar flare is observed heading our way by satellites, they routinely photograph aurora from down in Flinders, but they are so faint that one needs a time exposure to pick them up.
Regards,
Renato

Thanks Renato
I did not realize you could possible see anything from the Morning Peninsula.

 

[Steady]

Thanks Renato
I did not realize you could possible see anything from the Morning Peninsula.

The site linked in post 3 has a map of sightings- heaps in Victoria

 

[Renato1]

Thanks Renato
I did not realize you could possible see anything from the Morning Peninsula.

Yes it can be seen but is definitely not easy - while some other members of my Society have seen an aurora, I've never seen one.

When you see photos of aurora posted on the internet they look magnificent. But i always look at the foreground items - houses, trees or beach. If they are lit up like daytime, that means that you are looking at a longe exposure, and had you been there, your eye may not have seen the pictured aurora at all, or only seen it much much dimmer. I just can't get excited about such photos.

But when the houses and trees are black, then there is a good chance the pictured aurora would have been somewhere near as good to the naked eye as in the photo, though perhaps not as colourful. Then I am indeed annoyed I missed it.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Brittany]

I was talking to a work colleague and they mentioned that it’s possible to see the Aurora Borealis from the southern most tip of Tasmania.

Can anyone tell me if it occasionally happens or an annual event.
Where is the best spot to see it and when ( I read that July / August are the better months).

We live in Melbourne so it’s a short trip and would be something interesting to do in the next month or so.

.
Every August is TastroFest, Tasmania’s Astronomy Festival. TastroFest

It usually has the founder of Aurora Australia Tas, NASA experts and many other great speakers talking about the night sky. It also has the most incredible Aurora and Astrophotography Gallery in the country (all taken across Tasmania). There are also astrophotography classes you can go to and lots of stuff for kids.
The Aurora happens at any time right across Tassie all year round, it is just easier to see during the longer nights in winter. It is all about the suns activity and nothing about what our seasons are doing, you can pick up the Aurora on camera pretty much every week to fortnight. It is visible to the naked eye quite frequently, but usually only for a few minutes. I have pulled over on the highway in the North West of Tasmania because the Aurora was so magnificent

 

[Mistress]

Don’t forget the moon can drown out the brightness of the aurora so try and head there around new moon time for the darker skies.

Auroras have been seen as far as qld. I have seen it once in the late 80s early 90s, but that would of been one strong solar flare. It all depends on the direction of the flare too. Have had a few reaching up to Wollongong and again you need to be right time.

Another website is Aurora Service (Australis)

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @Brittany

 

[drron]

Great first post Brittany.Welcome.

 

[DaveinCanberra]

I was talking to a work colleague and they mentioned that it’s possible to see the Aurora Borealis from the southern most tip of Tasmania.

Can anyone tell me if it occasionally happens or an annual event.
Where is the best spot to see it and when ( I read that July / August are the better months).

We live in Melbourne so it’s a short trip and would be something interesting to do in the next month or so.

I well remember seeing the aurora (australis) one night while our small group of greenies was sneaking through the bush near the Gordon River en route to a planned "no dams" mega-demo, would have been in March 1983. Blew my mind.

 

[Brittany]

Thank you for the warm welcome! Long time reader as I am overseas for business and pleasure a couple of months of each year. So much so I have hit triple platinum with Velocity this year alone (I know, not the best location for that to be a benefit). But as you can see, it is such a wonderful spot that it is worth the trade off.

 

[Margaret Hay]

BoM also have information on the Aurora Australis including current Aurora conditions and some videos

SWS - Aurora