Aurora Australis hunters snap incredible shots across Bega Valley

It was Monday, April 24 when most of the incredible shots were captured across the Bega Valley, prompting professional and amateur photographers alike to take to social media and share their images of the stunning spectacle.

Not usually as visible this far north, conditions proved too good for aurora hunters to resist.

We thought we'd share some of the best photos, videos and time lapses we came across from some skilled local photographers, with their permission.

With southern lights events expected to increase over next two years, check out how to best capture the Aurora Australis.

From Caroline Jones - Mallacoota

The video consists of 437 images, each of a 25 second exposure (8000 iso and 2.8 aperture) with a 1 second gap between each frame, totaling about 3 hours and 15 minutes.

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From Karen Regan (via Facebook) - Eden

Lady Aurora Australis and Boyds Tower

Living at geographic latitude 36 degrees south, I don't get to go Aurora Australis chasing much but when I do, the Kp-index is 7 and the clear dark southern sky is lit!! So of course I had to venture out to one of my favourite night locations to capture the southern lights!!

The strong geomagnetic substorm and consequent aurora on 24 April was the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun a couple days earlier and was Earth-directed. Significant geomagnetic activity like this makes it possible for those living in low geomagnetic latitudes to photograph an aurora. Unfortunately auroras are not usually visible to the naked eye at low latitudes

My critter companion during this shoot was the most adorable baby long-nosed bandicoot

From Olivia Williams - Tathra

To provide some background, I moved here from the UK in 2018 and have really appreciated seeing the Milky Way and the beauty of the night sky unimpeded by light pollution.

My interest in aurora-hunting / photography started in 2017 whilst living in a village just south of Nottingham in the UK.

Despite numerous attempts, I never succeeded in photographing aurora because of the general 'glow' of street lighting, habitation and other human activity between me and the Arctic.

We should be campaigning for preservation of dark night skies here in Australia.

It is distressing to see the amount of unnecessary and wasteful all-night lighting already coming into use, for example on the walk to Tathra Headland between the Tathra Hotel and the Wharf.

My photographs despite it being darker here than the UK, still contain a fair amount of light pollution.

At the base of the aurora in most of the photos is the light cast up by more southerly human habitation.

In addition to darkness (and ideally a night with low or absent moonlight), necessities to aurora-viewing are 'good stats', few or no clouds and a clear view south.

The human eye's colour receptors (the cones) function poorly in low light levels, so most people 'see' aurora, even at its best as a dull milky grey glow.

Camera sensors on the other hand are more sensitive. Many mobile phones are capable of taking reasonable night photos, however settings need to facilitate light capture. One needs a long exposure time (and therefore a tripod) to lessen blur associated with movement, a big aperture (low 'f' number) and high ISO (sensitivity). I achieve these settings on a Nikon digital SLR using a wide-angle lens. What I have seen with the naked eye is just a slight luminous glow.

At present we can expect an increase in aurora over the next 2 to 3 years as the solar activity and sun-spots that cause aurora go through a roughly 11 year cycle. It has been pretty good so far this year.

There are several helpful apps to provide information about aurora forecasts. Forecasting is challenging, but the best apps rely on live measurements (for example Spaceweather Live, which is free) and reporting by aurora watchers. I can really recommend Glendale Skye Aurora which is a free app.

Aurora hunting seems to have become as big an interest here as in the Northern Hemisphere.

The auroras are an interaction between electrically charged particles from the solar wind and the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere.

Auroras happen when charged particles from the sun enter the magnetosphere. Once inside, the geomagnetic field directs them toward the north and south magnetic poles.

When the electrons from the solar wind interact with the earth's magnetic field they can cause the gases at very high altitudes to glow.

University of Tasmania professor in physics and astronomy Andrew Cole told ACM the sun is in an active period, meaning the lights will be more visible over the next few years.

"The sun has an activity cycle, where it goes through quiet periods and very active periods, and it's going into a more active period now. It's going to be ramping up in captivity for the next couple years to come," he said.

Huon Valley-based freelance photographer Toby Schrapel travelled to the top of Mount Wellington on February 27 to get above the clouds and witness the full magnitude of the aurora lights.

He was surrounded by at least 100 other astrophotographers seeking the perfect shot.

"I was up there until about two o'clock in the morning. That was a large show, it was surreal, I saw the reds and greens pulsing through the sky," Mr Schrapel said.

"There were a couple of hundred people up there. We all had the same idea. It was really nice to share that."

Mr Schrapel said elevation, a clear sky, and water nearby to catch the light reflections are the ingredients for a good photo.

Gillian Dayton from Hobart said choosing a spot away from light pollution was crucial.

"When we get alerts that an aurora is about to happen I go and find a quiet spot away from people and light pollution, you just need to have a really good vantage point," she said.

"You need a southerly aspect clear from light pollution. You need clear skies, good weather. Face the camera south and focus on a star to begin, at the lowest aperture, for a about 15 to 25 seconds,

"With the naked eye you can see the faint flow of red and green beams, but on the camera you see this amazing green glow. It's very exciting to see that."

If you captured the incredible spectacle in the Bega Valley, get in touch!

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