Southland’s relatively high latitude (46.5° south) makes it the most likely place in New Zealand to see the colourful aurora australis (southern lights). The displays result from the electricity produced when light particles collide with gases in the upper atmosphere and take on colour, most often pink or pale green. The electrical waves are drawn to the south magnetic pole, which lay at about 65° south in 2008.
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Private collection
Photograph by Stephen Voss
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