Local stargazers have been treated to another magnificent display of the Aurora Australis, which lit up the night sky on Tuesday, January 20, and well into the early hours of the following morning.

More commonly visible at more southerly latitudes in Australia, aurora are caused by massive ejections of charged particles from our sun striking the earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. When these particles collide with atoms in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, they release energy as light, resulting in a stunning sight for those lucky enough to witness it.

Thanks to Ray Pickard at the Bathurst Observatory Research Facility and Jeremy Black of Springside for sharing their photos with us.

Photo: Jeremy Black