Aurora Australis is caused by solar–terrestrial interactions that energize and dump charged particles into Earth’s atmosphere near the south magnetic pole. Here’s the concise picture:

• Solar wind and eruptions: The Sun emits a steady solar wind of charged particles, and occasionally large eruptions called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) release huge clouds of plasma and magnetic field into space. When these reach Earth, they can compress and disturb the magnetosphere, injecting energy and particles.

• Magnetosphere interaction: The Earth’s magnetic field guides many of these charged particles toward the polar regions. As they precipitate into the upper atmosphere, they collide with gas atoms and molecules. This collisions excites the atmospheric atoms, and when they return to their ground state, they emit light—the aurora.

• Colors and altitudes: Different gases emit different colors (oxygen and nitrogen produce greens, pinks, reds, purples depending on altitude and energy of the particles). The lowest visible edge of the aurora is typically tens of miles up, with emissions extending higher into the thermosphere.

• Geographic pattern: Auroras are concentrated around the polar regions, forming curtains or bands that follow Earth's magnetic field lines. The South Magnetic Pole region is where the Aurora Australis typically displays.

Practical notes:

• They are more active during periods of high solar activity, including solar flares and CMEs, and during geomagnetic storms. This can lead to brighter, more widespread displays, sometimes visible from lower latitudes with good dark-sky conditions.

• The timing and intensity depend on the structure of the solar wind and the state of Earth’s magnetosphere; predictions use solar observations and geomagnetic indices.

If you’d like, I can tailor the explanation to your location and provide tips for maximizing your chances of seeing the Aurora Australis, or share a simple diagram of the process.