In the stillness of the Adelaide Hills last night, a dance of celestial colours graced the skies as the Southern Lights, also known as the Aurora Australis, put on a rare and mesmerizing show. Photographer Simon Deluca-Carrillo, undeterred by the chill of an autumn night, journeyed to capture this exceptional event and his dedication to his craft paid off spectacularly.
The night’s serenity was heightened by an 82% waxing moon that set the stage for nature’s grand performance. The display, an uncommon sight in South Australia, painted the night sky with vibrant hues, usually reserved for the polar regions. Deluca-Carrillo’s Facebook post featuring the captivating imagery has captivated thousands, garnering a huge response from captivated fans.
The photographer’s ability to capture a shooting star alongside the aurora added an extra layer of awe to one of the stunning photographs.
The perfect conditions, finally materialized around 3am when the moon bowed below the horizon, but it wasn’t until 4:30am that the sky “went off with a bang,” erupting in a vibrant display of the Aurora Australis.
The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, is a natural light display predominantly seen in the southern hemisphere’s high-latitude regions, akin to its northern counterpart, the Aurora Borealis. This luminous phenomenon is caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere, a result of solar wind interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.
Typically visible closer to the Antarctic Circle, the Aurora Australis can occasionally be observed further north, in locations like Tasmania, New Zealand, and, rarely, South Australia. The display features an array of colours, but most commonly green and pink, resulting from particles colliding with oxygen and nitrogen. The shapes and movements of the auroras are ever-changing, creating a dynamic and unique spectacle each time they appear.
The occurrence that Simon Deluca-Carrillo documented is a showcase of the aurora’s unpredictable nature. It’s quite unusual for the Southern Lights to be seen so vividly on the mainland of Australia, making his photographs a remarkable capture of a relatively rare event for the region. These lights are typically more frequent during periods of increased solar activity, which follows an 11-year cycle known as the solar cycle.
You can follow Simon’s incredible night photography at @simon.delucacardillo on Instagram
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