AORAKI/MOUNT COOK 43°55’56.0”S 170°11’38.0”E
the green aurora curtain that I witnessed morphing over Aoraki/Mount Cook has now become the southernmost recorded sighting of a newly discovered mid-latitude auroral phenomenon. Seeing lady aurora dancing across a star filled sky with the naked eye is an incredibly moving experience that just cannot be translated through a lens alone. So how can more people have a chance at witnessing the magic? There are four key factors to consider. In short, I look for dark skies, a mostly clear night, ideally around the time of a new moon, and an active solar storm. The most important part is checking the space weather forecasts. A big part of viewers “luck” has to do with having a basic understanding of what causes auroras. First of all, the sun goes through cycles of heighted solar activity roughly every 11 years. Chances of viewing aurora from New Zealand’s mid-latitudes are significantly higher around the peak of these cycles known as solar maximum. During the most active part of the solar cycle, the sun’s magnetic poles flip, which causes eruptive events. These events, referred to as coronal mass ejections, sometimes erupt toward Earth, which can result in visible aurora if solar winds and other variables are favorable. The interaction of this energy from the sun with the gasses in Earth’s atmosphere result in beautiful displays of colored light in the sky. Oxygen gives off beautiful hues of green and red light, while nitrogen in lower altitudes glows blue and purple. The increasing accessibility of advanced technology has allowed scientists to monitor solar wind speeds and magnetic fields, providing data that can predict auroral events. Avid aurora chasers should consider becoming familiar with using resources such as the Glendale app, the My Aurora Forecast & Alerts app, the SpaceWeather website, or a local social media aurora group. Tapping into these resources will significantly increase chances of catching a glimpse of the most incredible display our night sky has to offer. I’d love for as many people as possible to be able to experience this incredibly moving event with their own eyes. However, it’s also important to note that viewing the aurora with the unaided eye from New Zealand is quite rare. Most often, it’s seen as beams of faint light rather than what one might see on social media or printed in the newspaper. Images of aurora are captured using cameras that are much more sensitive to light than our eyes. Witnessing an Aurora event may not be as vibrant as it appears in photos, but the experience of seeing the aurora in person is assuredly an unforgettable one. While scientists unlock the “how” of the aurora, they don’t quite capture the experience of watching the lights dancing across the night sky. Indigenous beliefs offer a different view that reminds us of our connection to the natural world and those who came before us. Perhaps both perspectives—the scientific and the mythical— can deepen our appreciation for the aurora. Science shows us the processes behind the beauty, but mythology invites us to wonder if we’re witnessing something far older and more profound. Is the aurora simply a predictable phenomenon, a dance of particles in the sky, or could it be a reminder of something more? Ultimately, we can decide whether we see the aurora as a wonder of physics or as a bridge to our ancestors. Either way, we’re left in awe, standing under a sky painted with lights that inspire both questions and reverence.
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MOTHER VOLUME FOUR
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