Gabriela Moreira says she "came to Tasmania all the way from Brazil to see the beautiful people, landscape and, of course, the aurora australis".

On Sunday night, she was in luck, as the aurora lit up the night sky across the state amid a strong geomagnetic storm.

She wasn't the only one taking to social media to post about the spectacle, created as the Earth passed through the wake of a strong coronal mass ejection, or blast from the sun.

Indicators predicted the aurora might be something special when the forecast magnitude of its strength reached a "Kp" of 7, on an index that goes up to 9.

They proved true as shooting beams of coloured light were visible to the naked eye, which aurora chaser Margaret Sonnemann said was not always the case.

Matt Davis said standing in the cold for hours in the middle of the night was worth it. ( Facebook: Matt Davis )

"The naked eye definitely does not pick up the amount of colour that a camera does," said Ms Sonnemann, who set up the Aurora Australis Tasmania Facebook group, which has amassed more than 52,000 followers.

"Last night there were huge naked-eye beams — sometimes you'll get that and sometimes you won't.

"Many Tasmanians didn't realise it was their birthright, and that they could actually have the privilege of seeing this."

The strength of last night's aurora reached a planetary index (Kp) of 7, which is very strong. ( Supplied: Aurora-service.net )

Ms Sonnemann said those searching for the light display should be aware that what they see in the sky may not match the hundreds of photographs seen online.

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And while it may seem as though the natural event is occurring more frequently than ever before the reverse is true — the sun is a currently in a relatively dormant state, known as the solar minimum.

Ms Sonnemann said the perceived increase in the natural event's regularity was largely thanks to social media.

"We're actually having a lot less activity now than we were a few years ago, but the awareness has been increased so much," she said.

"Thanks to social media we've got this fantastic network for letting each other know when it's happening.

"Solar cycles and the aurora is so very fickle, though we try to predict it we really can't, we have to have the immediacy of social media so people can say, 'I see it now; get out there now!'"

Ms Sonnemann said the increase in awareness was encouraging locals and tourists alike, to seek out the displays.

Time for viewing platforms?

Some travel to the state with the light show high on their list of "must sees".

Ms Moreira, the Brazilian, posted on Sonnemann's Facebook page that she was feeling "thankful".

Ms Sonnemann said there were renewed calls for local government to consider building proper viewing platforms to make the night-time experience safer and more accessible.

"We are having so much tourist activity at the moment and I'd be really, really excited to see proper viewing platforms set up at strategic locations," she said.

"It's just so difficult telling somebody to go to some boat ramp somewhere, down an unsealed road.

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"These people are trying to find it in the middle of the night, we worry about their safety."

She said the solar minimum is expected to continue, but aurora seekers need not be discouraged.

"I'm afraid we're going to stay at a decrease for a couple of years, but having said that we're still seeing some gorgeous displays," she said.