Story of a Woman Mesmerized by the Southern Lights from the Sky

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A female traveler named Rachel Kennedy captured a magical moment when she witnessed the Aurora Australis from an airplane mid-flight.

Rachel, who is from Australia, recorded the rare natural phenomenon while flying on an Air New Zealand flight over the Southern Lights on Wednesday night (25/9).

She had long sought to see the aurora firsthand and had her first glimpse in May. However, experiencing it from the sky was an even more extraordinary experience.

Rachel changed her seat on the flight to sit on the right side of the plane, having followed aurora forecasts for days in anticipation of the event.

Rachel was on a work trip, flying from Melbourne, Australia, to Christchurch, New Zealand, on Air New Zealand flight NZ216 when she finally caught sight of the dazzling lights in the sky.

Initially, Rachel’s photos only captured a green arc, but as soon as the captain dimmed the cabin lights, she was thrilled to photograph and clearly witness the awe-inspiring phenomenon.

Upon landing in Christchurch, Rachel shared her photos in the public Facebook group ‘Aurora Australis,’ which has 33,300 members. Her post quickly gained positive reactions.

Many people who saw her photos encouraged Rachel to submit them to Air New Zealand’s in-flight magazine, Kia Ora.

For those unfamiliar, the aurora is caused by disturbances in the magnetosphere by solar wind, which alters the path of charged particles, creating brilliant colors in the sky.

The Northern Lights, known as the Aurora Borealis, are more famous and can be seen within a 2,500-kilometer radius of the North Pole, making Norway and Iceland popular destinations for viewing.

Meanwhile, the Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, can be seen year-round but are most common during the equinoxes in March and September due to the long, dark nights that enhance visibility.

Some of the best places to view the Southern Lights include Great Barrier Island, Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, and Wai-ti International Dark Sky Reserve—or, as Rachel did, from the sky aboard a flight.

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