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Reposted by Greg Smith

Lumina @lumina.observer · 13/04/2026

👋 Hi Bluesky! Lumina Observer is an aurora prediction & space weather monitoring & forecasting app, designed for Aussie & Kiwi hunters. Check it out at 🌐 lumina.observer Or the Play Store: play.google.com/store/apps/d... #Aurora #AuroraAustralis #SouthernLights #Australia #NewZealand #SpaceWeather

lumina.observer

Lumina Observer

Aurora predictions & observation journal

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 11/10/2025

The larva of a lilly pilly leaf beetle, Paropsides calypso. Its purple and green colouring blends perfectly with the leaves of its host plant. #macrophotography #macro #nature #insect #larva #beetle #auswildlife #insectsofaustralia

The larva of a lilly pilly leaf beetle, Paropsides calypso, on a lilly pilly leaf.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 09/08/2025

Rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus, enjoying the aloe blooms in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. #naturephotography #nature #bird #lorikeet #rainbowlorikeet #auswildlife #birdsofaustralia

A rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus, perched amongst some red aloe flowers.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 23/07/2025

White-footed slime, Diachea leucopodia, a species of slime mould. #naturephotography #macro #nature #slimemould #slimemold #diachea #fungifriends

White-footed slime, Diachea leucopodia, a species of slime mould, growing on a leaf.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 13/07/2025

Ghosties! Ghost fungus, Omphalotus nidiformis. Getting a bit late in the season, but I managed to find these two that were still glowing strongly. #naturephotography #fungus #ghostfungus #ghostmushroom #mushroom #bioluminescence

A long exposure showing the green bioluminescent glow of two ghost mushrooms, Omphalotus nidiformis.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 06/07/2025

A laughing kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, sitting in an old gum tree. (Merry, merry king of the bush is he.) #naturephotography #nature #bird #kookaburra #auswildlife #birdsofaustralia

A laughing kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, perched on a eucalyptus tree branch.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 05/07/2025

Slime mould! I think this one is Craterium leucocephalum. I hope to get better at photographing these - this one was super-tiny, with each "stalk" around 1mm high. I stacked 24 exposures to get this end result. #macrophotography #macro #nature #slimemould #slimemold #craterium

Three "stalks" of Craterium leucocephalum slime mould growing on a dead twig.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 25/05/2025

Happened to catch a random meteor while setting up for a star trails shot. #space #meteor #stars #astro #astrophotography

A meteor streaking through the night sky, with a weathered cliff face in the foreground.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 11/05/2025

An Australian cuckoo wasp, Primeuchroeus sp. Like it's avian namesake, cuckoo wasps lay their eggs in the nests of unrelated host species. #macrophotography #macro #nature #insect #wasp #cuckoowasp #auswildlife #insectsofaustralia

A bright metallic-green Australian cuckoo wasp, Primeuchroeus sp., on the trunk of a eucalyptus tree.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 10/05/2025

Is that a walking leaf? Why would a leaf want to walk? Planthopper, Flatinae sp. #macrophotography #macro #nature #insect #planthopper #walkingleaf #bluey #bingoisthebest

Close up of a planthopper, Flatinae sp., on a twig.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 07/05/2025

The Milky Way core, a far more interesting subject than the Eta Aquariids meteor shower in the opposite direction. #astro #astrophotography #milkyway #milkywaycore

The Milky Way core, above the silhouette of eucalyptus trees.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 07/05/2025

A fairly underwhelming shot of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower, featuring a touch of green airglow, a very bright Venus, and two tiny meteors. #space #astro #astrophotography #venus #meteor #meteorshower #etaaquariids #igotupat4amforthis

A view of the night sky including some green airglow, Venus, and two tiny meteor streaks as part of the Eta Aquariids shower.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 26/04/2025

A female (gyne) big-headed ant, Pheidole sp. Having just mated and pulled off her own wings, she'll go on to start a new colony, using her now-useless wing muscles as a source of nutrients to raise the first generation. #naturephotography #macro #nature #insect #ants #bigheadedants #pheidole

A freshly-mated and wingless female (gyne) big-headed ant, Pheidole sp., on a leaf.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 26/04/2025

A big-headed ant drone, Pheidole sp., standing on the discarded wing of the female he just mated with. This male will die in the next one to two weeks, but the female will go on to live for years. #macro #nature #insect #ant #bigheadedant #pheidole #insectsofthefediverse

A big-headed ant drone, Pheidole sp., on a leaf, standing on the discarded wing of the female he just mated with.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 26/04/2025

Little pied cormorant, Microcarbo melanoleucos, with a tasty catch. #photography #naturephotography #bird #cormorant #auswildlife #birdsofaustralia

A little pied cormorant, Microcarbo melanoleucos, swimming on the ocean with freshly-caught food in its beak.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 26/04/2025

A pair of mating big-headed ants, Pheidole sp. The male will soon die, and the female ripped off its own wings and will go off to start a new colony, using her now-useless wing muscles as a source of nutrients to feed the first generation. #naturephotography #macro #nature #insect #ants #pheidole

A pair of mating big-headed ants, Pheidole sp., on a leaf along with the discarded queen's wings.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 22/04/2025

The 170-year-old Robe Obelisk. It's in need of a repaint, but erosion of the limestone cliffs by pounding waves means it's now too dangerous to approach. The obelisk is predicted to collapse into the sea at some point in the next 30 years. #obelisk #robe #robeobelisk #limestonecoast #southaustralia

The Robe Obelisk and surrounding limestone cliffs, with a cloudy sky in the background.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 17/04/2025

Some aurora rays from Adelaide, South Australia, despite an almost-full moon. #aurora #auroraaustralis #space #astro #astrophotography

Faint pink aurora rays, with trees and dried grass in the foreground illuminated by an 89% moon.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 15/04/2025

A spotted muscleman tree ant, Podomyrma adelaidae, crawling along on a dead tree stump. #naturephotography #macro #nature #insect #ant #treeant #musclemantreeant #auswildlife #insectsofaustralia

A spotted muscleman tree ant, Podomyrma adelaidae, on a dead eucalyptus stump.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 04/04/2025

By the time I arrived at my dark(ish) sky spot the show was all but over. Can't complain about some time out under the stars though. Some red aurora glow, hanging out next to the Milky Way. #aurora #auroraaustralis #milkyway #astro #astrophotography

Some red glow from aurora australis, pictured next to the Milky Way, with a the silhouette of some eucalyptus trees in the foreground.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 02/04/2025

Star trail fun, with a large eucalyptus tree in the foreground. #stars #space #startrails #astro #astrophotography

Star trails, with a large eucalyptus tree in the foreground.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 01/04/2025

The Milky Way core rising, reflected in the water below. #stars #space #astro #astrophotography #milkyway

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 26/03/2025

An unusually chilled-out White's skink, Liopholis whitii. This little guy allowed me to get close enough to get a decent shot with my Olympus 60mm lens. #naturephotography #skink #whitesskink #lizard #reptile #auswildlife #reptilesofaustralia

A White's skink, Liopholis whitii, sunning itself on a rock.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 23/03/2025

Nice little aurora early yesterday morning from a random back road in the Adelaide Hills. Still amazed that I can capture this within a half hour drive from home. #aurora #auroraaustralis #space

Some faint pink beams of the aurora, with a field, trees, a dam and some lights and powerlines in the foreground.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 22/03/2025

Giant chiton, Plaxiphora albida. I first thought it was a fossil- it felt like rock. Chitons use biomineralisation to coat their teeth in iron so they can chew away on coral and algae growing on rocks. #naturephotography #macro #nature #chiton #mollusc #auswildlife #molluscsofaustralia #marinelife

A giant chiton, Plaxiphora albida, on a rock.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 22/03/2025

A mealybug destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri. What a brilliant common name. This Aussie native ladybird has been introduced all over the world to help control mealybugs in citrus orchards. #macro #nature #insect #mealybugdestroyer #ladybird #auswildlife #insectsofaustralia

A mealybug destroyer, or mealybug ladybird, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, on the tip of a leaf.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 18/03/2025

This eastern rosella, Platycercus eximius, was kind enough to stay still for a minute or so at the top of this tree. They're often quite shy and not too keen on posing for photographs. #naturephotography #birds #parrot #rosella #easternrosella #auswildlife #birdsofaustralia

Eastern rosella, Platycercus eximius, perched amongst twigs at the top of a tree, against a overcast sky.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 14/03/2025

The front-on view of a pelican is particularly derp. Australian pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus. Despite being a medium-sized species of pelican it has the longest bill of any bird. #photography #naturephotography #nature #bird #pelican #australianpelican #birdsofaustralia #auswildlife

Front-on view of an Australian pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus, swimming on the ocean.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 11/03/2025

The Pisces Star, a 60-foot sailing boat that ran aground near Carpenter Rocks, South Australia on her maiden voyage in 1997. #photography #shipwreck #piscesstar #carpenterrocks #limestonecoast #southaustralia

Front-on view of the wreck of the Pisces Star sailing boat, mostly reduced to a rusted hull.

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Greg Smith @gregsmith.au · 11/03/2025

Caught the briefest, teasiest hint of an aurora the other night at Orwell Rocks, Port MacDonnell, South Australia. #aurora #auroraaustralis #orwellrocks #portmacdonnell #limestonecoast #southaustralia

Faint pink beams of aurora australis, hiding behind clouds and light from a bright moon, with rocks and the ocean in the foreground.

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