NIGHT’S SPLENDOUR:

What happens when particles charged by the sun collide with atoms in the earth’s atmosphere? They energise electrons in the atoms that ultimately release photons. Or, put simply, they create a light show of various colours and complexity in the sky we know as auroras. People living closer to the poles get to see auroras more than others, but occasionally the phenomenon is visible in inland Australia. A significant Southern Aurora, Aurora Australis, occurred on April 20 and photographer Lyn Mckenzie of Stawell captured its magnificence unfolding west of the Wimmera centre. “It was nearly the biggest one I have seen here. The arc was clearly visible to the naked eye,” she said.