The Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, were exceptionally bright this year, creating a spectacular sight in the night sky above New Zealand.

The intense hues of blues, greens and pinks have again attracted Selaos hunters this year, and many of them have been staying up to capture the perfect shot.

Richard Cheng, an amateur observer, camped on Brighton Beach in Dunedin, the second largest city in New Zealand’s South Island, to document the phenomenon. According to him, the intensity of Selaos became “more and more” compared to last year.

🔵 Breathtaking sights in New Zealand and Australia. Le luci del sud, oh #AuroraAustralia, hanno creato un gioco di colori partiale vivace. The cause can be traced back to alle particelle del vento solare, the “engine” delle aurore polari. pic.twitter.com/kHfuJAfUcx

— Rai Radio1 (@Radio1Rai) March 30, 2023

“Before such a scene, you can immediately forget about all your problems and feel only sadness because of the insignificance of people in front of nature,” he told the BBC.

The aurora borealis is usually most visible in New Zealand’s South Island, but in recent weeks its colorful formations have become so bright that they can be seen as far north as the North Island and Auckland.

The Southern Lights (सादारन लिट्स) have been spotted in New Zealand. Observers note that this time they looked brighter than last year. These lights have been seen in the southern parts of Australia as well as New Zealand. #southern lights #AuroraAustralis #Aurora pic.twitter.com/eHWBhWmQ5j

— BBC Telugu News (@bbcnewstelugu) March 29, 2023

While auroras can occur at any time of the year, they are most likely to form in March and September, when the Earth’s orientation relative to the Sun is more likely to interact with solar storms, explains the Australian Center for Space Weather Prediction. .

Aurora Australis, New Zealand {OC} (1500×1000) – Posted by william_patino on Reddit – #travel #photo #journey #nature #Photo of the day pic.twitter.com/Zw3pI6E2Fz

— Surprisingly beautiful | Nature and Green Cryptocurrency (@amazinglybeaut) March 29, 2023

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some really great coverage. Around this time of the year, closer to the equinox, the magnetic fields of the Sun and the Earth align in such a way that in the event of a solar storm, energetic particles easily fall into the Earth’s magnetic field, ”says Ian Griffin, an astronomer. and director of the Otago Museum.

Amazing Australian Aurora at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. ✨

Thanks to @HunterSmith_NZ for sharing with us.😍👏 pic.twitter.com/d4jNtWSGgY

— NIWA (@niwa_nz) March 30, 2023

The color shades of Selaos are determined by the composition of the atmosphere. More oxygen means more green and yellow, and more nitrogen gives Aurora a darker shade of red or blue.

The Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, were especially bright this season in New Zealand. https://t.co/NZJfCdjD0a
The Northern Lights, seen on February 28, illuminate the mountains of Queenstown in #New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/LJbq9Nqm5D

— Bali Promotion Center ⭐️⭐️❤️⭐️⭐️ (@translatorbali) March 29, 2023

For those who are interested, the scientists recommend setting up their camera equipment in a spot without light pollution, facing south, perhaps on a hill or beach.

With a population of just 5 million, Griffin advises that in an area the size of the UK, there are “many” dark places to look at and spectacular shots to take, especially south of Christchurch.

Source: BBC/Guardian.