AuroracastUKStep-by-step reference
Aurora Photography Guide
From first sighting to pro shots — everything you need to know about camera settings, gear by budget, smartphone tricks, and the habits that separate lucky snaps from stunning images.
Quick start
Find a dark sky
Drive at least 30 min from town. Open fields, hilltops, or coast — away from streetlights.
Check the forecast
Hp30 3+ for Scotland, Hp30 5+ for England. Watch Bz — when it goes negative, go outside.
Dress for the cold
Standing still at 2 am is brutal. Thermals, windproof layer, hat, gloves — no exceptions.
When to look
Timing your aurora hunt
September – March — best season in the UK. Long, dark nights give maximum viewing windows, and the equinox months (Sep, Mar) see a natural uptick in geomagnetic activity caused by the Russell-McPherron effect.
Hp30 3+ for Scotland and Northern Ireland — Hp30 5+ for northern England and Wales — Hp30 7+ for southern England and the Midlands.
Midnight ± 2 hours is statistically the most active window, though geomagnetic storms can erupt at any hour. Set an alert and be prepared to go out at short notice.
Solar maximum years amplify aurora frequency dramatically. Solar Cycle 25 is near its peak, delivering the strongest storms in two decades — mid-latitude sightings are far more frequent than usual.
New moon windows provide darker skies and better contrast, making faint arcs far easier to photograph and visible to the naked eye.
Camera settings cheat sheet
Settings calculator
Settings Calculator
Don't have a camera? Your phone can capture aurora too — start here.
📱 Smartphone tips
iPhone: Use Night mode or the ProCamera app. Keep it still — prop it against something solid.
Android: Use Pro mode → set ISO 1600, shutter 10 s. Pixel phones: try Astrophotography mode in Google Camera.
Camera / sensor
Focal length (mm)
Star trail limit: 2 s
Aurora activity
Recommended settings · Active (Hp30 3–4)
ISO
800–1600
Shutter
3–8 s
Aperture
Max open
iPhone Night mode or Pixel Astrophotography mode work well here. Disable portrait mode.
These are starting points — real conditions vary. Bracket your exposures and review on-screen after every shot.
Equipment by level
🌌 Just starting out?
You don't need expensive gear to photograph the aurora. A modern smartphone works brilliantly — many of the best shots you'll see online were taken on a phone. Start with what you have and upgrade only if you want to.
- Smartphone with Night / Pro mode
- Mini tripod or GorillaPod
- Warm, waterproof layered clothing
- Red-light head torch (preserves night vision)
- Flask of hot drink
- Fully charged power bank
Modern smartphones can capture aurora surprisingly well. The key is keeping the phone perfectly still.
- Entry mirrorless or DSLR (Sony ZV-E10, Nikon Z30, Canon M50)
- Wide kit lens + 50mm f/1.8 prime
- Solid travel tripod with ball head
- Spare batteries — cold drains them fast
- Remote shutter app or wired release
- Microfibre lens cloths for condensation
A crop-sensor mirrorless with an f/1.8 prime is a huge leap from a smartphone and fits in a day pack.
- Full-frame mirrorless (Sony A7C II, Nikon Z6 III, Canon R6 Mark II)
- Ultra-wide fast prime (Samyang 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 14–24mm f/2.8)
- Carbon fibre tripod — lightweight, stable in wind
- Intervalometer for automatic timelapse
- Lens dew heater + USB power pack
- Astro-modified sensor or clip-in Hα filter
Full-frame sensors capture far more light and dynamic range — critical for fast-moving curtains at low ISO.
Smartphone tips
Getting great shots on your phone
Modern phones can capture aurora. The secret is bypassing the auto exposure system and keeping the device completely still.
Manual settings
- Pro / Manual mode — Take full control of ISO and shutter speed — auto will always underexpose.
- Flash off — Always. It will kill your night vision and ruin the shot.
- Exposure time — 3–8 seconds. Longer if faint, shorter if dancing fast.
- ISO — 800–1600. Higher on faint nights, lower if you see noise.
- Portrait mode — Turn it off — depth-of-field blur will smear the sky.
- Stabilisation — Lean against a wall or fence, or use a mini tripod. Any movement ruins long exposures.
Native night modes
iPhone Night mode
Activates automatically in dark scenes. Let it run its full duration — usually 3–10 s. Drag the moon icon in the Camera app to lock exposure length.
Pixel Night Sight
Enabled automatically when dark. Hold very still — the camera stacks multiple frames. Prop against something solid for the optional Astrophotography mode.
Samsung Expert RAW
Use Astrophoto mode for dedicated long-exposure shots with live preview frame stacking.
Third-party apps
Tips & tricks
Habits that separate great shots from missed ones
Face north
In the northern hemisphere, aurora forms around the magnetic pole. Face north and scan the horizon upward.
Let your eyes adapt
Stay away from white light for at least 20 minutes. Your night vision can improve for up to 45 minutes. Use a red torch only.
Check the Hp30 forecast before going out
No point driving an hour each way for Hp30 1. Aim for nights when Hp30 4+ is forecast and the skies are clear.
Shoot RAW
RAW files retain far more detail in highlights and shadows than JPEGs, giving you much more latitude in post-processing.
Focus on infinity using a bright star
Set your lens to manual focus, zoom in on a bright star in live-view, and adjust until it is a sharp pinpoint. Lock focus there.
Shoot toward the horizon for low Hp30
At Hp30 3–4, the aurora arc hugs the northern horizon. Pointing straight up will give you black sky; keep the horizon in frame.
Bracket your exposures
Shoot the same scene at two or three different shutter speeds. Aurora brightness can change second to second.
Watch Bz, not just Hp30
Hp30 updates every 30 minutes. Bz updates every minute. A sudden southward Bz spike can produce aurora 30–60 minutes before Hp30 catches up.
Set white balance manually
Set white balance to around 3500–4500 K. Auto white balance will try to neutralise the aurora's natural green and pink tones — lock it manually to preserve the colours.
Include a foreground subject
A silhouetted tree, hillside or coastline gives scale and transforms a sky photo into a proper landscape. Scout your foreground in daylight.
Intervalometer for timelapse
Use a remote shutter or intervalometer to take a series of shots without touching the camera. 10–15 seconds at f/2.8, ISO 1600 is a good timelapse starting point.
Cold kills batteries — come prepared
Keep a spare battery in an inside pocket. Moisture condenses on front elements; a lens hood helps, and a hand warmer near the lens barrel prevents dew.
Noise reduction in post
Lightroom, Darktable or similar: luminance noise reduction of 40–60 is usually enough. Avoid going too high or you'll lose star detail.
Patience is the key setting
Aurora often intensifies suddenly and fades just as quickly. Be set up and ready before activity peaks — the best shots come to those already outside with the camera on a tripod.
Useful apps & resources