The Aurora Australis: The Southern Hemisphere’s Glow

The Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, dazzles skies near the South Pole.
Like its northern twin, it’s caused by solar particles colliding with Earth’s atmosphere.
Green is the most common color, but pink, red, and purple often appear too.
It forms in an auroral oval around Earth’s magnetic south pole.
Best views are from Antarctica, Tasmania, and New Zealand’s South Island.
Strong solar storms can make the Southern Lights visible farther north.
Curtains, arcs, and swirls of light shift and dance across the night sky.
Indigenous cultures in the Southern Hemisphere have rich legends about the aurora.
Satellites and astronauts see the Aurora Australis as glowing rings from space.
Though less famous than the Northern Lights, it’s equally magical and mesmerizing.