Can you see the aurora from Kingston tonight?
Chances are low from Kingston right now.
Aurora viewing needs dark, clear winter skies and elevated solar activity. Cloud cover is currently 34%.
Live answer updated 5:19 am AEDT · Data from Open-Meteo · Refreshes every 5 minutes
Tasmania is one of the few places in the world where you can regularly photograph the Aurora Australis — the Southern Lights — without leaving a city's outskirts. At around 42°S, Kingston sits closer to the south geomagnetic pole than almost any other populated place outside Antarctica and southern New Zealand.
Three things need to line up: solar activity (a geomagnetic storm, measured by the Kp index — Kp 5 or higher is promising for Tasmania), dark skies (winter nights are best, away from city lights, with no bright moon), and clear weather. The weather is the part this page tracks live: cloud cover is the most common reason a good solar storm goes unseen.
The best local viewing spots face due south over water or open horizon — around Hobart, think South Arm, Goat Bluff, Howden or kunanyi/Mount Wellington's southern lookouts. To the naked eye an aurora often appears as a pale glow or faint beams; cameras and phones on night mode reveal the pinks and greens. Peak season is roughly May to September, though strong storms can produce displays year-round.
Common questions
- Can you see the aurora from Kingston tonight?
- Chances are low from Kingston right now. Aurora viewing needs dark, clear winter skies and elevated solar activity. Cloud cover is currently 34%.
- Can you see the Southern Lights from Tasmania?
- Yes. Tasmania is one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Australis, thanks to its far-southern latitude. Displays strong enough to photograph happen many times a year, mostly on clear winter nights during geomagnetic storms.
- What do you need to see an aurora from Kingston?
- Three things: elevated solar activity (a Kp index of about 5+), a dark clear sky (low cloud cover, little moonlight, away from city lights), and a view due south. Winter nights between about 10pm and 2am are statistically best.