Viral Images of Rare Southern Lights in Gansbaai

Gansbaai photographer Hugh-Daniel Grobler captured breathtaking photos of the Southern Lights, also known as the Aurora Australis, in Danger Bay on 11 May 2024.

When he heard about the event on a photography chat group, professional photographer Hugh-Daniel Grobler didn't waste any time. He quickly went to Danger Point, near the lighthouse, to take some photos. "On that side, it was really good. It was just an incredible experience - a blood-red glow," said Grobler in an interview with News24.

Reports also came in about the space storm being visible over the southern tip of Africa, from Gansbaai to Namibia, confirming the rare event.

Although the Southern Lights are more often seen in the northern hemisphere, the SA National Space Agency (Sansa) hopes there might be another chance to see them on Saturday night as the storm continues.

Jon Ward, acting executive director at Sansa Space Science in Hermanus, explained the potential impact on technology from these events.

Sansa's Space Weather Centre, which operates around the clock, was launched in November 2022 and is the only accredited space weather centre in Africa.

This Level 4 geostorm, caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from Earth’s sun, results from solar flares, CMEs, storms, and the release of millions of particles, radiation, and energy into space.

While these storms can't harm life on Earth because of the planet’s magnetic field, they can disrupt satellites, telecommunications, location services, cellphone and satellite TV connectivity, and even damage the power grid in severe cases.

Source: capetownetc.com