The Northern Lights Get All The Fame, But This Southern Cosmic Show Is Just As Beautiful

The aurora borealis has been in the fame for a longer time, but very few know about the other side of the northern hemisphere: an infamous southern side is known as the aurora australis. It lies in Antarctica, Southern Australia, and New Zealand and is visible to fewer parts of South America. It's not as prominent as the aurora borealis, but if you find the ideal spot and get a camera, beautiful green, red, and sometimes purple streaks could be as memorable.

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Best Time To Visit: 

May-August: It only remains for one to three hours, roughly from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am. Some guides even suggest going around March or September. It has an app to keep an eye on the timings, which is perfect.

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Best Location: 

• The most visible lights can be found in Australia, particularly in Tasmania. For a panoramic view, head towards the South Arm Peninsula, Cockle Creek, or Cradle Mountain. Additionally, Mount Wellington offers a breathtaking view.
• Lake Tekapo and Stewart Island, New Zealand, offer clear reflection.
• Antarctica is the best place for raw sightings and is accessible only through cruising.

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How To Reach: Take a flight to gateway cities such as Hobart, Christchurch, Queenstown, Invercargill, and Dunedin, and then take the roads or transfers to get to the dark south.

Means Of transport: Use road transport once you arrive at your destination to get to the coast, inland, or high ground areas that are not affected by the light.

Accommodation: Seek accommodation at cabins, rural lodges, lakeside, or southern hotel rooms.

The recommended approach is to fly to a designated gateway city in the relevant region, then continue by local transportation, such as buses, trains, or car rentals, to reach accommodations in remote areas with minimal light pollution near optimal viewing sites

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How To Capture The Best Shot

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This is how you can best photograph auroras:

•    Use a tripod so that your camera won't move.
•    Photograph manually with a wide-angle lens and large aperture.
•    Use ISO 800-3200 and an exposure time of 5-15 seconds, but adjust it.
•    Manually focus on infinity.
•    Use a remote shutter or timer to prevent shakes.
•    Add a foreground element like mountains, trees or water.
•    Bring some batteries, warm clothes, a red headlamp and snacks because you'll need to stay outdoors for a long time.
•    For mobile phones, use night mode or a manual camera, try to keep your phone stable, and take multiple pictures because auroras move very quickly. 

The yearly cosmic light show can actually be seen on both sides of the hemispheres with the correct timing, location, and preparation.