While most of us slept in the wee hours of Sunday morning, photographer Simon Balnozan was at Werribee South beach snapping away at a spectacular natural light show.
The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, is common site in Tasmania but is rarely seen as far north as Melbourne.
The lights, known as Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere, are caused when electrically charged electrons and protons accelerate down the Earth’s magnetic field lines and collide with neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
While beautiful, these magnetic storms can cause problems with communications, including radio frequencies and GPS devices.
Bureau of Meteorology space weather scientist Dr Richard Marshall said the earth was currently emerging from the peak of its 11-year solar weather cycle, which led to increased instances of Aurora Australis.
He said the green lights were caused by oxygen, while the red comes from nitrogen and oxygen further up in the atmosphere.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Space Weather Service operates a subscription service offering information on the best times to see Aurora Australis.
With The Sydney Morning Herald
