Aurora Guide
How to photograph the aurora
Camera phones and cheap tripods can capture aurora that's too faint to see well with the naked eye. Here's what actually matters — with settings for both phones and dedicated cameras.
1. Get away from light pollution
City lights wash out faint aurora before it ever reaches your camera. Drive somewhere dark with a clear, unobstructed view toward the northern horizon — a lake shore, a rural road, or a hilltop away from streetlights all work well.
2. Check the moon phase
A bright moon adds sky glow that competes with faint aurora. Nights near the new moon give you the darkest sky and the best contrast — check tonight's moon phase before you head out.
3. Use a tripod — or brace your phone
You'll be shooting exposures of several seconds, so any hand movement will blur the shot. A cheap tripod works best; in a pinch, lean your phone against a rock, fence post, or car roof and use a timer so pressing the shutter doesn't shake it.
Phone camera settings
Most modern smartphones have a Night Mode that handles long exposures automatically.
- • Turn off the flash
- • Switch to Night Mode and let the exposure run 3–10 seconds — longer exposure catches fainter light
- • Tap the screen to focus on the horizon or a distant light, not the sky directly
- • If your phone has a "Pro" or manual mode, set ISO to 1600–3200 and exposure to 3–5 seconds for more control
Dedicated camera settings (DSLR / mirrorless)
A starting point — adjust based on how bright the display is and your specific lens.
If the aurora is moving fast and bright, shorten your shutter speed (1–3 seconds) to preserve the shape of the rays instead of blurring them into a solid glow. For faint, slow-moving displays, a longer exposure (8–15 seconds) gathers more light at the cost of sharp structure.
Common mistakes
- • Using autofocus — it hunts endlessly in the dark. Switch to manual and focus on a distant light or bright star.
- • Forgetting to turn off the flash — it does nothing for a sky shot except ruin your night vision.
- • Shooting toward city lights or a bright moon — check the direction and the moon phase before you go.
- • Not bringing a spare battery — cold weather drains batteries fast, and long exposures use more power.
Before you head out
Check the live aurora forecast for tonight's Kp index and visibility odds, and tonight's moon phase for how dark your skies will be.