Aurora Australis: Stargazers enjoy New Year light show

Stargazers have rung in the new year by enjoying spectacular views provided by the first Southern Lights of 2016.

Six images from the International Space Station blended together using Photoshop (Photo: Digital Negative) Source: Flickr

The Southern Lights are being caused by radiation generated from an electrical storm over the sun taking place over the last few days.

Enthusiasts documented the show from vantage points in Tasmania's south and north west, posting the results on social media. 

Gary Plummer created a timelapse using his Sony A99 camera on a country road between Nile and Deddington in Tasmania.

Others also stumbled across the spectacular show while out and about taking photos of New Years Eve. 

Ann-Maree Thomas was taking photos of the fireworks in Launceston when she found a more stunning natural lights display.

An image of Aurora Australis from Launceston (Photo: Ann-Maree Thomas) Source: Facebook

Those in Victoria also got a showing.

There were also snappers who captured the view from New Zealand.

Chris Watson in Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand said he was surprised at how stunning the Aurora Australis was. 

"The first day of 2016 produced some spectacular Aurora displays in our southern skies.... after everyone went to sleep, the lights came alive in the sky!" he wrote on Facebook.

Aurora Australis (Chris Watson) Source: Facebook

John Barrow documented the show on his Canon EOS 550D using a fast, wide angle 16mm lens with no flash. He posted the result on the Flickr group for New Zealand Aurora Australia Chasers.

(Photo: John Barrow) Source: Flickr

The Aurora Borealis Northern Lights were also visible, caused by a solar flare and associated coronal mass ejection from earlier this week.

Watchers concluded that the Northern Lights outshone the fireworks display.