Aurora Australis

An Aurora Australis is created when particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field.

The amazing colours of an Aurora Australis are made from an electrical charge mixing with gases in the atmosphere.

The yellow lights of an Aurora Australis are created by an electric charge interacting with nitrogen in the atmosphere.

The red lights of an Aurora Australis are created by an electric charge interacting with hydrogen in the atmosphere.

The sun is in its active phase, the solar maximum, making the solar storms which cause an Aurora Australis more common.

The green lights of an Aurora Australis are created by an electric charge interacting with oxygen in the atmosphere.

Aurora Australis is a southern spectacle - the further south you are, the better the chance you have of seeing it.

Last night's Aurora Australis was born from the biggest solar storm to strike Earth in more than six years.