THE RUNDOWN
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm forecast by NOAA and space weather agencies has triggered a fresh Aurora Australis alert for October 9, 2026, creating strong viewing potential across the weekend.
Best viewing conditions are expected across Tasmania, Victoria, parts of New South Wales, South Australia and the southwest coast of Western Australia.
With the new moon arriving on October 11, night skies are unusually dark, eliminating the moonlight glare that could wash out the display.
Peak viewing windows will fall between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am local time, with dark, south-facing locations offering the best chance of a show.
Expert astronomer Dr Laura Dreissen of the University of Sydney and Aarun Chandran, host of Australia’s biggest Aurora Australis Facebook group advise on how best to see the southern lights this week.
Astronomy lovers, we have good news. You can cancel your weekend plans and power up your smartphones because the NOAA have issued a fresh Aurora Australis alert for October 2026. Skywatchers are on high alert for a G2 (moderate) solar storm predicted for Friday, October 9, set to light up southern horizons in ethereal shades of violet, teal, and electric green.
According to space weather forecasts from NOAA, a geomagnetic storm has set the stage for potential Southern Lights displays across Tasmania, Victoria, parts of coastal New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia’s southern fringe.
Whether you’re a seasoned aurora chaser or hoping to catch your very first cosmic light show, this weekend offers one major advantage: the moon. With the New Moon arriving on October 11, pitch-black night skies mean zero moonlight pollution to compete with the faint atmospheric glow.
Here is everything you need to know about when to look up, where to go, and why this weekend’s conditions are exceptionally rare.
Key Facts, Aurora Australis, October 5:
What: Aurora Australis (The Southern Lights)
When: Friday, October 9, 2026
Prime Window: 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM (Local Time)
Where to Look: The deep south of the country, or dark-sky locations outside major cities. Face directly south.
Current Forecast: The Bureau of Meteorology’s Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) notes recent G2-level geomagnetic activity.
Skip To:
Where And When To See The Aurora Australis
How Does An Aurora Australis Happen?
What’s The Difference Between The Southern Lights And The Northern Lights?
How Does Hemispheric Power Impact How We See The Aurora Australis?
Capturing An Aurora Australis On iPhone And Android
An Expert’s Guide To Seeing This Weekend’s Display
Where And When To See The Aurora Australis In Your Australian State
To catch the display, head out after astronomical twilight ends (roughly 75 to 90 minutes after sunset), with the most intense activity expected during the darkest hours of the night.
State/Territory Peak Viewing Window Viewing Potential Dark Sky Vantage PointTAS 10:00pm-2:00am AEDT HIGH Kunanyi / Mt Wellington, Bruny Island, South Arm Peninsula, Cradle MountainNSW10:30pm-2:00am Moderate to High Sapphire Coast (Eden, Green Cape), Royal National Park, Warrumbungle Dark Sky ParkVIC10:00pm-2:00am AEDTModerate to High Cape Schanck, Wilsons Promontory, Phillip Island, Mornington PeninsulaSA10:00pm-2:00am ACDTModerate Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Lincoln National ParkWA9:30pm-1:30am AWST Moderate (South Coast)Albany, Esperance, Margaret River coastal lookouts
How Does An Aurora Australis Happen?
To understand why the skies are dancing, you have to look back at the Sun.
“The Sun has magnetic loops on its surface that shift around and get twisted up,” explains Dr Laura Driessen, astrophysicist at the University of Sydney. “This builds energy in the loops, and at a critical point they twist up and reconnect. This magnetic reconnection event releases a big burst of energy as light — and can sometimes release a big chunk of plasma called a coronal mass ejection (CME).”
While the light from a solar flare reaches Earth in just eight minutes, the plasma cloud moves much slower, taking a few days to make the 150-million-kilometre journey to Earth.
“If the plasma from a coronal mass ejection comes towards us and impacts Earth’s atmosphere, it excites electrons,” Dr Driessen adds. “As the electrons come back down to their normal energy state, they release that extra energy as light. Green auroras come from oxygen in our atmosphere, while blue and purple come from nitrogen.”
Image: ELLE reader submitted images of the January geomagnetic storm which produced an Aurora Australis strong enough to be captured on iPhone in well lit suburban streets.
What’s The Difference Between The Southern Lights And The Northern Lights?
While the Northern Hemisphere boasts constant stories of the Aurora Borealis, catching the Southern Lights often feels like an elusive bucket-list feat. But according to Dr Driessen, it’s not because solar storms prefer the north — it’s purely geographical.
“The southern lights aren’t actually rarer than the northern lights — it’s just that no one is there to see them,” says Dr Driessen. “The best place to see auroras in the Southern Hemisphere is in the middle of the ocean between us and Antarctica.” So, not that convenient.
“Melbourne is at the same latitude (flipped North to South) as Athens. There’s a lot more land and a lot more people above Athens than there is below Melbourne! The landmass in the Southern Hemisphere just isn’t well-placed to see auroras, which is why when a storm hits us, it’s such a special occurrence.”
How Does Hemispheric Power Impact How We See The Aurora Australis?
If you follow space weather forums, you’ve likely seen people talking about HP (Hemispheric Power). But what is HP, and why does it dictate your chances of seeing an aurora?
“HP measures the total power (in gigawatts, or GW) being deposited into Earth’s upper atmosphere by solar particles,” explains Aarun Chandran, host of the popular Aurora Australis Facebook group. “High HP equals more auroras.”
However, Chandran notes that HP needs to be viewed in relation to moonlight: “The Moon, that big glowing spotlight in the sky, loves to crash the party and wash everything out. Depending on how bright the Moon is, you need higher HP to compete with its glare.”
Because the Moon is near its New Moon phase on October 11 (less than 10% illumination), the HP threshold required to see the Southern Lights is at its lowest level all month:
HP index:
0–30% Moon (Current Conditions): Requires ~50 GW HP (Very attainable during a G2 storm)
30–50% Moon: Requires ~55 GW HP
50–70% Moon: Requires ~77 GW HP
90–100% Full Moon: Requires ~110 GW HP
To track live HP readings in real time, Chandran recommends checking the SpaceWeatherLive app or the NOAA Aurora Oval website.
Capturing An Aurora Australis On iPhone And Android
If you step outside and only see faint, greyish streaks low on the horizon, don’t throw in the towel.
“Your camera is basically a light-collecting superhero,” Chandran says. “It can gather light over several seconds, building up colour and detail. Your eyes are doing their best, but they were designed to spot predators, not photograph space magic.”
Dr Driessen agrees that relying on your phone is the easiest way to confirm a sighting: “Our eyes aren’t very good at picking up faint, diffuse light in the dark. Taking a long-exposure photo on your phone will instantly reveal the magentas and greens that your eyes can’t quite resolve.”
An Expert’s Guide To Seeing This Weekend’s Display:
Get Away From City Lights: Light pollution is the ultimate enemy. Drive 30–60 minutes away from suburban streetlights to a dark coastal or elevated location.
Face Due South: Auroras originate over the South Pole, so ensure you have an unobstructed view facing directly toward the southern horizon.
Stay Away From Your Screens: Avoid looking at bright phone screens while waiting outside. It can take roughly 20 minutes for human eyes to fully adapt to dark conditions.
Use Night Mode & Steady Your Phone: Set your iPhone or Android camera to Night Mode with an exposure time between 3 and 10 seconds. Rest your phone against a tripod, rock or car roof to prevent movement blur.
Auroras don’t glow constantly —they roll through in burst periods lasting 10 to 15 minutes a few times throughout the night.