Think you’re looking at the Northern Lights? Think again

Let the north have their Borealis. Down here in Australia and New Zealand we’ve got a pretty spectacular light show of our own. A rare alignment of the sun and the earth’s magnetic field results in the stunning Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights.

Credit: David Metcalf of DJM Images

In June this year, skywatchers were treated to a show when stronger than usual bursts of energy meant the lights could be seen further north than normal. It’s the most intense Aurora we’ve had here since 2005.

Credit: David Metcalf of DJM Images

One of those with his camera pointed in the right direction was amateur photographer David Metcalf, of DJM Images.

Credit: David Metcalf of DJM Images

“We’ve been keeping track of the sun and were monitoring a large event that saw the release of two Coronal Mass Ejections in quick succession, and knew that if one caught up to the other there was a chance of strong auroral activity on Tuesday morning. Keeping that in mind we decided to head out and do an all-nighter at one of our favourite viewing locations – Bonnie View Lookout”.

Credit: David Metcalf of DJM Images

“We set up camp at Bonnie View Lookout, just south of Bundanoon on Echo Point Road, which overlooks around 200 kilometres of Moreton National Park. We waited patiently in the cold for 7 hours until finally at 5am the Aurora showed up”.

Credit: David Metcalf of DJM Images

“At first it showed up on our camera screens as a pink haze and then by 5.30am as a stunning series of beams visible to the naked eye until it was washed out at around 6am by the impending sunrise.”

Credit: David Metcalf of DJM Images

If you’d like to see more of David’s work, check out his Instagram.

Feature image c/o Nick Russill, Flickr