Aurora Australis Observed on May 11, 2024

Photographer: Carlos Di NalloSummary Author: Carlos Di Nallo

On May 11, 2024, I was taking wide-field, night sky photographs in Catamarca Province, Argentina, in hopes of glimpsing auroras which had been widely reported in the Northern Hemisphere. As you can see above, my curiosity and patience were rewarded. The red coloration of the aurora australis, resulting from the very strong solar activity the day before, was stunning. I was really surprised because at my latitude (27.5 degrees south of the Equator), it's extremely rare to be able to observe the aurora phenomenon.

The Milky Way stretches across the top of the photo; the Southern Cross is at top right-center, and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are at bottom right-center. South (south magnetic pole) is toward the bottom of the photo.  

Photo Details: Canon 6D camera; Canon 16/35 lens; 16 mm; f2.8; ISO 3200; 20 second exposure.

Cortaderas, Catamarca Province, Argentina Coordinates: -27.5591667, -68.1463888Related Links:Aurora Australis and Magellanic CloudsThe Southern Hemisphere Sky