Who needs the northern lights when Mzansi has its own?
Colourful Aurora Australis expected in SA's night skies after solar storm
Image: REUTERS/Carlos Osorio
Travellers to European countries like Iceland or Norway have long been fascinated by the northern lights phenomenon that takes place from September to March.
However, Mzansi's night skies are expecting their own colourful spectacle this month. Known as Aurora Australis, the southern lights come after a coronal mass ejection struck Earth’s magnetic field in Tuesday morning. This is how the colourful effect is created in the skies.
Who will see it
According to the George Herald, the light show will be visible in some parts of South Africa — particularly in the far south of the country, although some KZN residents were lucky enough to witness it last year when it occurred.
How it happens
The South African National Space Agency explains that geomagnetic storms — caused by charged particles from the sun — are measured on a scale starting with G: “It is denoted by a G followed by a number from one to five, with one being a minor event and five being an extreme event.”
How to see it
For those taking pictures on the day, Good Things Guy shared tips from We Are South Africans Facebook page that suggested camera users (DSLR or otherwise) should try to use an ISO of 1600–3200, an aperture of f/2.8, and shutter speed of 10–30 seconds — a slower shutter speed is able to catch the colours in the night sky.