Aurora at Geeveston, Tas 24 August 2005

[anonymous]

Have just come inside (VERY cold out there!*LOL*) after watching the aurora at Geeveston again from around 7.50pm (about 0950 UT). 
The temperature is very cold, and there is no cloud at all - a light breeze in a star-filled sky. 
The lights were arcing right across the sky from South East, through South, to South West. Bands of light were also visible around 8pm going right across the sky immediately above us, white in colour and shining/fading in lozenge shapes when they were not actually joining up and covering an entire arc like the Milky Way. Rays stretched into the sky across the horizon and up to about 45 degrees from the horizon, again right around half the sky. These rays were very numerous, and grew until they almost met overhead after coming from the South East to the South West .  These rays, and the arcs from which they rose, glowed white, green and pink/purple in turn.  Then the pulsing lights (white) started flashing across the entire sky in true Aurora fashion - at the height of the activity they were starting from the horizon and flashing right up to the sky above us.
I apologise for not staying outside and getting ALL the data - but I have to come inside when I start to shake with cold. *LOL*
Where we are, on the outskirts of Geeveston (over 43 degrees south), is not affected by much light from other dwellings etc and we are quite high up, so there is a lot of sky to watch!
I am sure there will be other observations lasting longer than mine, but I HAD to put mine in as well!

Cheers and happy sky-watching to all

Lynda Manwaring 
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