A lucky coincidence of an unexpectedly clear night, with what turned out to be o…

A lucky coincidence of an unexpectedly clear night, with what turned out to be one of the strongest solar storms in over 20 years.

On January 21st 2026, earth experienced Aurora activity reaching KP8 magnitude, after being struck by the intense radiation from what has been described as the most severe solar storm since 2003.

This 23 frame panorama, was captured during a brief spike in the Aurora activity at around 1:20 AM on January 21st 2026.

Camera: Sony A7iii
Lens: Sony 14mm F1.8 GM.
EXIF: Sky: 15 sec, ISO 1600, F/3.5, Foreground: 30 sec, ISO 1600, F/3.5

Shot near Lake Tekapo, Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand.

#sonyanz #southernlights #Aurora #auroraaustralis #astrophotography newzealand

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