By Kelvin Chan
LONDON (AP) – Some people in the US may be able to see the aurora on Monday night. Or, at least use your smartphone camera to reveal tips on the aurora that is invisible to the naked eye.
Space Weather Officers issued a rare, serious solar storm alert on Sunday last week after the sun exploded a huge amount of energy called coronal mass ejection. The other heading towards Earth on Monday was able to generate more aurora sightings, along with it, more social media posts of the majestic sight.
If you’re planning on going out and taking photos to find lights after the sunset, there are things you can do to get the best shots. However, first try finding a quiet, dark area away from light pollution and checking the weather forecast. Clouds can hide the aurora.
When it comes to equipment, ideally you should use a DSLR camera. This is because its manual control gives you more control and the tripod is stable. However, many people don’t have this type of equipment. However, even if you only have a smartphone, you can still take great photos of the night sky.
Here are some tips on how to photograph the aurora:
Good setup
Before messing around with your phone, take a few other steps to improve your chances of getting a good shot. First, darken the screen. A bright screen can damage both your night vision and other screens nearby.
Even if you don’t have a tripod, it’s best not to hold your phone in your hand while filming at night. Find something to rest your device, like a hat, a book, or even the ground.
Of course, the aurora is most common in sunny weather, so check your predictions. Find a dark place away from the lights of the city and look north. Also, consider horizontal rather than vertical to capture a wider image.
iPhone Tips
First, turn off the phone flash. Usually, the lightning bolt symbol is marked in the corner of the screen.
Next, use the night mode that appears on the iPhone 11 and newer models. It normally turns on automatically in low light. You will see a crescent moon round icon in the top left corner of the screen, so you can see it is on.
For night shots, longer exposure is better as the light has more time to hit the lens. According to Apple, Night Mode exposure length is usually determined automatically, but you can still try manual controls.
To reach the controls, tap the arrow at the top of the camera screen. This arrow will display a column of controls at the bottom. Tap to find the exposure icon. This is the same crescent moon symbol as the night mode icon.
A slider appears. You can drag this to the left or right to select the auto timer and maximum timer settings. Max gives you the longest exposure time. No matter which setting you choose, the next time it will be remembered.
Next, tap the shutter button to take a shot. Better yet, turn on the countdown timer. The delay gives you time to travel and makes it less likely that movement from your finger will affect your shot.
When you go to the handheld, when your iPhone detects movement within the frame, you will see a crosshair. Sort them to minimize movements that can ruin your shots.
Android Device Tips
Similar night and astrophotography modes are available on most Android devices.
On a pixel phone, tap Night Vision Settings at the bottom of the screen. According to Google’s online guide, if you are using a tripod, your astrophot settings will automatically appear when you detect that your phone is still ready.
Now you can press the shutter. This triggers a 5-second countdown timer before the phone starts a long exposure of up to 4 minutes.
If you don’t have a tripod, you will need to activate Astro Mode by tapping the crescent moon icon and swiping the slider.
When you hit the shutter, a 5-second timer will appear. Google says that “the phone can be placed on a stable surface facing the sky.” The phone then plays the sound to let you know that it’s done.
The new Samsung phone has access to Astrophoto mode, but users will need to download and get the company’s free expert RAW camera app.
Use a third party app
If you feel that external support is needed for a snapshot, there are suggestions for tourism agencies and other outfits in some Scandinavian countries. For example, Iceland Air has blog entries about the best apps for taking photos of the aurora. These include Northern Light Phototaker, which costs 99 cents to download and “does exactly what you say.”
Inspired by ICELAND, Iceland lists additional apps to try, especially if the default camera doesn’t have manual controls. These include NightCap cameras for IOS, Procamera and Slow Shutter. For Android, the Procam X Lite is a good choice.
When you visit Norway, you will suggest similar camera exchange apps, but be aware that you will need to test them before you can see which type of phone is best for you.
AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay was a contribution from San Francisco.
Are there any technical topics that you think need to explain? Find suggestions for future editions of One Technology Tips at OneTechtip@ap.org.
Original issue: June 2, 2025, 5:40pm EDT
