Australia: Southern Lights Light Up Skies Amid Severe Geomagnetic Storm

A severe geomagnetic storm triggered by multiple coronal mass ejections caused one of the most spectacular Southern Lights displays across parts of Australia.

Aurora Borealis In The Appalachian Mountains - Virginia

Aurora Borealis In The Appalachian Mountains - Virginia

The northern lights appear over a ridge in the Appalachian Mountains in Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA, May 12, 2024. Aurora borealis and australis were visible across much of the earth after solar coronal mass ejections caused the most intense geomagnetic storm in the last 20 years. Photo by Allison BaileyMiddle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Aurora Borealis In The Appalachian Mountains - Virginia

Aurora Borealis In The Appalachian Mountains - Virginia

The northern lights appear over a ridge in the Appalachian Mountains in Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA, May 12, 2024. Aurora borealis and australis were visible across much of the earth after solar coronal mass ejections caused the most intense geomagnetic storm in the last 20 years. Photo by Allison BaileyMiddle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Aurora Borealis In The Appalachian Mountains - Virginia

Aurora Borealis In The Appalachian Mountains - Virginia

The northern lights appear over a ridge in the Appalachian Mountains in Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA, May 12, 2024. Aurora borealis and australis were visible across much of the earth after solar coronal mass ejections caused the most intense geomagnetic storm in the last 20 years. Photo by Allison BaileyMiddle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Sun Xiaotong/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, in Wellington, New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Zhao Gang/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Li Qiaoqiao/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, in Wellington, New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, in Wellington, New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(240511) -- WELLINGTON, May 11, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

XINHUA-PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023-WORLD NEWS

XINHUA-PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2023-WORLD NEWS

(240105) -- BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2024 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(230228) -- WELLINGTON, Feb. 28, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(230228) -- WELLINGTON, Feb. 28, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(230228) -- WELLINGTON, Feb. 28, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(230228) -- WELLINGTON, Feb. 28, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

NEW ZEALAND-FOX GLACIER-AURORA AUSTRALIS

(230228) -- WELLINGTON, Feb. 28, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, seen from Fox Glacier on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

AUSTRALIA-LARGEST PLANT-DISCOVERY

AUSTRALIA-LARGEST PLANT-DISCOVERY

(220603) -- CANBERRA, June 3, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Photo provided by Rachel Austin from the University of Western Australia on June 1, 2022 shows the Posidonia australis seagrass meadow in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia. Australian researchers have discovered the world's largest plant off the country's west coast. In a study published on Wednesday, researchers from Flinders University in South Australia (SA) and the University of Western Australia (UWA) revealed they have discovered a seagrass stretching 180 km in Western Australia's Shark Bay. The researchers sought to understand the diversity of seagrass meadows in Shark Bay using genetic tools and were surprised to discover it was one vast organism of the Posidonia australis species. They estimate that it is at least 4,500 years old. (University of Western Australia/Handout via Xinhua)

Falkland Island Aguara-dog, Dusicyon australis

Falkland Island Aguara-dog, Dusicyon australis

Falkland Island Aguara-dog, Dusicyon australis. Extinct around 1870.. Handcolored engraving on steel by William Lizars from a drawing by Colonel Charles Hamilton Smith from Sir William Jardine's Naturalist's Library: Dogs published by W. H. Lizars, Edinburgh, 1839.

Rugby World Cup in Japan: Australia v Wales

Rugby World Cup in Japan: Australia v Wales

Hadleigh Parkes (L) of Wales celebrates after scoring a try during the first half of a Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Australis on Sept. 29, 2019, in Chofu, western Tokyo. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Aurora above Japanese icebreaker Shirase

Aurora above Japanese icebreaker Shirase

The Aurora australis appears above the icebreaker Shirase on Feb. 23, 2017, during its Antarctic Sea voyage back to Japan from Showa Station, a Japanese research facility at the South Pole. The southern lights were seen from the late night of Feb. 23 through early hours of Feb. 24. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo