What It's Like to See the Southern Lights From the Air

As the time of year for the Northern Lights comes to a close in the Northern Hemisphere, Southern Lights are just beginning to come into view and, for some lucky travelers in New Zealand, a charter flight gave them a spectacular perspective on this elusive phenomenon. 

“The so-called "Flight to the Lights" left from Dunedin, New Zealand, Thursday night, and after a few hours of chasing the Aurora Australis, returned early Friday morning,” writes Delaney Strunk on CNN. 

The chartered flight heads to the Antarctic Circle. 

“Just woken up from a truly amazing experience. A flight to the Antarctic Circle to witness the aurora, and she didn't disappoint. Extra special thanks to Ian Griffin for pulling off the best-timed event since that bloke drove a Delorean near a clock tower,” wrote Brad Phipps on Twitter. 

Just like the Northern Lights, the Southern iteration is caused by solar wind and magnetic fields. 

READ MORE: Where Should Travelers Really View the Northern Lights This Winter? 

"The solar wind interacts with gas ions high in the Earth's atmosphere and causes them to become 'excited,' or energized, releasing the colors that we see in the Aurora," said CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.

There are also opportunities to see the Southern Lights from the ground but, due to a lack of land mass close to where they appear, flying is one of the best ways. For more information on this unique phenomenon, read on here.