Aurora Australis Tonight in Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston sits at the head of the Tamar River in northern Tasmania, and the forecast here needs Kp 5.2 for a real chance of the aurora australis. A storm of that size is not routine, but Tasmania is the one part of Australia where it happens often enough to plan for.

The city itself is a poor viewing place. It lies in a valley, hills crowd the southern horizon, and the lights of the town wash out what is left. Cold winter mornings bring fog that can pool over the Tamar long after the sky above has cleared, so a clear forecast does not always mean a clear valley floor.

The practical plan is to leave town. Near the coast, Bridport and Greens Beach are small and dark, though from the north coast the southern view runs over farmland and low ranges, so you need a night of strong activity to see the glow clear of the horizon. Ben Lomond, the high plateau to the southeast, gives an elevated and darker southern view, with winter snow and a road that needs care. The season runs from roughly March to September, with the equinox months often more active. Watch the cloud forecast as closely as the Kp number: a front off the Southern Ocean can close the whole north.