‘Breathtaking’: Riverina unites under rare and radiant aurora

THE skies over Junee erupted in colour overnight, as the second severe geomagnetic storm in six months slammed into Earth’s magnetic field — producing an aurora so bright, it was photographed as far north as Queensland.

The southern horizon pulsed with pinks, purples, and greens as the Aurora Australis delivered one of the most vivid light shows the region has seen in years.

Clear, crisp conditions across the Riverina created perfect viewing conditions, allowing the phenomenon to be captured from multiple towns — including right across Junee Shire — as the lights danced across a starlit sky.

It’s the fourth aurora event visible from the Riverina in just 18 months, but unlike recent occurrences where cloud cover blocked much of the display, last night delivered one of the clearest and longest auroral showcases Junee has ever experienced.

Aurora Australis captured over Junee on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 | © The Junee Bulletin

While often faint to the naked eye, those equipped with the right phone or camera settings were able to capture breathtaking colour — some visible even above the town’s light glow.

The spectacle pulsed in waves for hours, with early bursts of deep magenta and purple eventually giving way to vibrant greens low on the horizon.

Aurora Australis captured over Junee on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 | © The Junee Bulletin

Aurora Australis captured over Junee on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 | © The Junee Bulletin

THOUSANDS LOOK TO THE SKY

The event drew thousands of eyes skyward, as stargazers, curious locals, parents with children, and seasoned aurora hunters hit the roads in search of the perfect vantage point.

Rural roads and hilltops across the Riverina became makeshift viewing platforms, with south-facing paddocks, turnouts, and roadside clearings transformed into late-night gathering spots.

Onlookers compared photos, swapped locations, and shared tips in real time.

Tripods were steadied. Phones were raised. Voices dropped to whispers as the sky shimmered overhead.

Collingullie, NSW (26km north-west of Wagga Wagga) | Photo: Supplied/Chrissy Anne

Aurora Australis captured over Junee on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 | © The Junee Bulletin

SEVERE G4 STORM

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Space Weather Forecasting Centre confirmed the event as a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm, falling just short of an extreme G5 classification.

The storm was triggered by a cluster of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) hurled from the Sun earlier in the week.

As those charged solar particles collided with Earth’s atmosphere, they excited gases high above the poles, producing the glowing auroral light.

During extreme geomagnetic storms, the auroral oval expands dramatically, making sightings possible in areas far beyond the polar zones.

Aurora Australis captured over Junee on Wednesday, 12 November 2025 | © The Junee Bulletin

Cootamundra, NSW | Photo: Supplied/Ree Webber

NATIONWIDE PHENOMENON

Social media feeds across the country lit up with images, with sightings reported in every mainland state and territory except the Northern Territory.

The widespread visibility makes this one of the most expansive aurora events of the current solar cycle.

It’s the second time in 2025 the aurora australis has been photographed over Junee. A similar G4-level storm in June delivered another display, though that event was largely obscured by cloud.

It followed a severe G4 storm in October 2024 and an extreme G5 event in May 2024 — the strongest in two decades — which lit up skies as far north as Mackay.