Consolation prize...

It turns out that the widely predicted Aurora Australis, that was supposed to show up last night, never actually showed... but we got to see this:

Larger version.

Aurora Australis tonight!

There is a strong possibility of Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights, being visible in the sky tonight (Thursday 9 January). Look to the south and watch for a red glow on the horizon. If you are a budding astrophotographer, and you get lucky and get to observe and photograph this fascinating phenomenon, you can show them off here - just email them to us! (You will, of course, get full credit for your photo). If you have any stories about where and when you observed the Aurora, please let us know, too. An Aurora Australis display is one of nature's best shows and something to remember, and we would love to hear your stories and impressions.

Monster sunspot!

Check out this video of huge sunspot 1944, taken by David Finlay yesterday:

Sunspot 1944 from David Finlay on Vimeo.