Dr Ian Griffin, ready to depart on tonight's aurora viewing flight. Photo: Gregor Richardson
The forecast is good for viewing the aurora tonight as a sold-out chartered Air New Zealand Boeing 767 prepares to leave Dunedin Airport.
The chartered flight to view the Aurora Australis is the initiative of Otago Museum director and former Nasa Space Telescope Science Institute public outreach head Ian Griffin, and will be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
The flight is expected to leave Dunedin Airport about 9pm, head as far south as 62deg, and return at 4am or 5am tomorrow.
The flight path will zigzag across the international dateline four times, giving people on both sides of the aircraft a good view of the aurora.
- The Otago Daily Times is on board the flight. See John Lewis' report and photographs in the ODT on Saturday.
