The aurora australis has transformed skies across the country into dazzling hues of pink, green and blue.
The phenomenon, also known as the southern lights, was triggered by a severe geomagnetic storm which hasn’t been seen in Australia since 2003.
The breathtaking light display is a result of sun-emitted plasma and solar flares in four ”coronal mass ejections” shooting magnetic particles towards Earth.
Social media users in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia shared images of the southern lights, which lit up skies from around 8pm to 2am.
Sadly, those in New South Wales missed out on the display due to cloud and rain.
Residents who missed out on last night’s show could have a chance tonight to see it across Victoria and South Australia again this evening.
Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre warned the level G4 storm – the second-highest classification – could threaten infrastructure power signals from Saturday night to Sunday morning.
“The warning issued for this event informs government and critical infrastructure operators so they can take action to mitigate potential impacts on infrastructure assets and essential service,” the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The storm has the potential to disrupt critical infrastructure such as power grids, and satellite services, impacting communications and satellites that use high-frequency radio communication.
Bright auroras can be visible at unusually low latitudes, including dark areas near Sydney and Perth, if G4 conditions are reached.
Geomagnetic storm lights up Australian night
