Astronomy Picture of the Day: 16/01/2026

Object Name: Aurora Australis or Southern Lights

Copyright: Jacob Dyer

Location: Balnarring, Victoria

Connect: @jacobdyerphotography

Skill level: Advanced (5+ Years)

Image Title

Aurora over the bay

Artists' statement

A panorama of the Aurora on November 12th, 2025.

How This Image Was Captured

Gear used

Sony A7RV Camera

Sony 14mm F1.8 Camera Lens

Exposure details

ISO 1600, 20s exposure, 5 frame panorama

Processing notes

Edited in Lightroom

Exploring Aurora Australis

The Aurora Australis, often called the Southern Lights, is a natural light display that illuminates the night sky in high southern latitudes, most commonly around Antarctica, Tasmania, southern New Zealand and occasionally southern Australia.

It occurs when charged particles from the Sun, carried by the solar wind, collide with Earth’s magnetic field and are guided towards the polar regions. As these particles interact with gases in the upper atmosphere, primarily oxygen and nitrogen, they release energy in the form of light. Oxygen typically produces green and red hues, while nitrogen contributes purples, blues and pinks.

Unlike the Aurora Borealis in the north, the Aurora Australis is less frequently observed simply because there is less land at southern polar latitudes. When conditions are right, however, it can be just as vivid, forming shimmering curtains, arcs and rays that appear to dance across the sky.

Auroral activity is closely linked to solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Strong geomagnetic storms can push the aurora further from the pole, making it visible from more northerly southern locations. Clear, dark skies and minimal light pollution are essential for viewing it.

Behind the Selection

This image captures both scale and connection, with the Aurora Australis shining above a wide, open bay. The stillness of the water and the broad horizon emphasise the vastness of the scene, allowing the aurora to feel expansive rather than confined, as though it is reaching out across sea and sky alike. The bay provides a natural foreground, grounding the display in a familiar landscape while guiding the eye upward to the movement and colour of the lights above.

The presence of the Large Magellanic Cloud in the background adds further depth to the scene. Visible as a faint, distant glow around 163,000 light years away, it contrasts strikingly with the immediacy of the aurora. Together, they illustrate how nearby atmospheric phenomena and distant galaxies can coexist in a single moment, linking Earth to the wider cosmos.

Beyond its beauty, the Aurora Australis is a visible reminder of the dynamic relationship between the Sun and Earth, offering both scientists and observers a striking glimpse into space weather and the protective role of our planet’s magnetic field. Framed above an open bay, with the LMC quietly present beyond, the image becomes a powerful expression of connection across scales, from our planet to the universe beyond.