WASHINGTON: The Aurora Australis lit up the sky in parts of Australia’s east coast after Earth was hit by a severe solar storm.
US space scientists say a potent blast of magnetic plasma shot out of the sun, travelling faster than usual and hit earth today.
The storm can increase the chances of fluctuations in GPS and power grids and shimmering polar auroras may emerge in places where more people will see them.
The Aurora Australis is caused by plasma particles from the sun (part of the solar wind) which enter the atmosphere. Collisions between the electrically charged particles and Earth’s magnetic field ionize oxygen and nitrogen atoms, releasing light.
Sky News Weather Channel watcher Andrea Evans caught the phenomenon in the early hours of the morning from Girvan, NSW.
She saw the lights at about 5.30am AEST and said they seemed to be getting stronger through until about 6am.
