A new form of celestial lights has just been discovered by amateur stargazers. The lights, which some are calling them "sky dunes," have been described behaving like sand dunes in the way the shimmering neon braids ripple and flow across the sky.
All auroras (including the southern variety) are formed when charged particles spewed from the sun disturb the Earth's magnetosphere. Those particles, usually electrons, get funneled toward the planet's poles where they interact with our atmosphere, resulting in brilliant glowing bands.