Tasman Island Aurora, Jan 2026
Jessica Hewenn | @vandiemonian
The aurora australis is an ephemeral phenomenon: a wave of charged particles colliding with the earth’s atmosphere releases light that forms transient patterns in our skies. Beneath this all-too-brief display are the results of far slower processes. The Tasman Lighthouse has stood since 1906, on an island whose vegetation was altered over a few decades by introduced species. That vegetation had itself been initially shaped by strong winds and sea mists, and all of it in a landscape shaped on a geological scale: largely Jurassic Dolerite shaped by the Quaternary glacial and current interglacial erosion effects. Photography is able to capture these processes, from the transient to the ancient, as a single moment in time.
BEAKER STREET SCIENCE PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE
This photograph was a finalist in Beaker Street’s annual Science Photography Prize. This highly-respected prize invites amateur and professional photographers to showcase the wonders of our extraordinary part of the world — which is teeming with science and scientists. Finalist images are displayed at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery during Beaker Street Festival each August, with great prizes on offer for Judges’ and People’s Choice winners.
The Beaker Street Science Photography Prize is sponsored by Pennicott Foundation — thank you crew! It would not be possible without the support of Full Gamut, Tasmania’s premier fine art printers, as well as the wonderful Tasmanian businesses who donate prizes.
