From: Steve (Primus) (Avatar) 30/10/2001 5:49:53 Subject: re: STEVE'S WEATHER FAQ post id: 476420 Does the Antarctic have an aurora and would it under extreme solar activity be visible from central NSW? The Aurora Australis has been seen as far north as the Darling Downs in Queensland. With a soalr flare big emough to do that you would find all sorts of weird things happening to radio, TV and electrical supply. St Elmo's Fire ? During a thunderstorm, the lightning discharge starts as an ionising stroke moving down from the cloud in a series of steps. This is called the stepped leader and you don't usually see it. From the ground, ionising fingers move upwards towards the cloud. When one of the stepped leaders meets one of these fingers, the main lightning discharge flows from the ground to the cloud along the ionised path. The ionising fingers from the ground can sometimes be seen, particularly from the rigging of ships and even from aircraft in flight. It is a bluish green glow and is called St Elmo's Fire.