Tasmania is in for a celestial treat overnight, with experts predicting the possibility of visible auroras across much of Australia’s east coast.
The Aurora Australis, or southern lights, is typically only visible from Tasmania, but increased solar activity could make it dance across the skies in other states.
In May, stargazers witnessed the largest geomagnetic storm in nearly two decades, which lit up the night sky with vibrant auroras in Victoria, South Australia and beyond.
Senior Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury from the Bureau of Meteorology said there is a chance of seeing the colourful phenomenon again on Tuesday, although it may not be as strong as the May event.
“At this point the south-west and central coast of Victoria are looking the most promising,” she said.
Tasmania is also likely to experience partly cloudy conditions, which may obscure the view.
The weather events can be tracked using the Bureau of Meteorology’s Space Weather app, which will send alerts when there is a high chance of an aurora event.
The latest alert issued on Monday morning notes that a coronal hole high-speed stream is expected to impact Earth’s magnetic field over the next few days.
“The stream is likely to produce G1-class geomagnetic storming, with a chance of stronger G2-class storming,” the alert reads.
“Storming at this level can trigger auroras that may be visible from high latitudes of Australia, such as Tasmania and Victoria.”
