Night sky spectacular

Night sky spectacular November 9, 2004 - 4:42PM A spectacular light show is expected to play across Australia's southern skies as a major geomagnetic storm rages above the earth's atmosphere this week. Many-hued shimmering and moving lights should appear in the night sky in the southern half of Australia over the next two nights, the Australian space weather agency, IPS Radio and Space Services, said. Since November 3, a massive sunspot has caused several explosions on the sun's surface, which have hit the earth's geomagnetic field and caused a major geomagnetic storm. "This storm is expected to continue for the next two to three days as material now in transit from the sun interacts with the geomagnetic field," IPS deputy general manager Phil Wilkinson said. "Reports of aurora have already been received from as far north as the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran in northern NSW." As well as creating a spectacular light display, the storm is likely to disturb the earth's upper atmosphere and interfere with technological systems including short wave or high frequency (HF) radio. AdvertisementAdvertisement "HF radio remains an important tool for communications and surveillance within Australia for defence, air and sea transport and emergency service groups," Dr Wilkinson said. Satellites may be damaged and aeromagnetic surveys could be adversely affected, he said, but the activity posed no direct threat to people on earth. http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Night-sky-spectacular/2004/11/09/1099781379931.html