Biggest aurora I’ve ever witnessed.

On the 28th February we were treated with the most magical display of aurora australis here in Queenstown. I’ve been lucky enough to see and photograph the aurora on a number of occasions while living here, but this display was by far the biggest and brightest I’ve seen so far.

The news of this incoming solar storm had been well publish on various social media groups and created quite a buzz around town. This resulted in many people being out that night eager to catch a glimpse of this spectacular natural phenomenon making it a little challenging to find dark locations without being disturbed by torch lights.

I wasn’t sure how much of a display we’d get on the night due to the first quarter moon. But knowing it would set around midnight I had to get out to see what I could capture. Turns out the moon didn’t make too much difference, the strength of this solar storm powered through. The above image was captured at around 10:45pm, the moment the aurora really kicked into action producing strong beams visible to the naked eye. I remember being very excited at this point, covered in goosebumps and dancing around like a crazy man.

The night created many opportunities for beautiful night sky photography. I also managed to get a composition with a sculpture I’ve been trying to get a pleasing shot of for years. I’ve shot it with the rising milky way and star trails but never been completely happy with what I got. It seems all I needed was for it to be back lit with an Aurora!

All in all it was an incredible night! Those who were out are not going to forget it in a hurry. I came back with a memory card packed with beautiful images which will be edited and added to my social media channels in the near future. The better one’s will be added to my website.