Can’t see the northern lights? Try using your phone camera
(NEXSTAR) – Looking up at the night sky, you might not see anything special this weekend. But use your phone camera, and it could be a whole different scene.
In a Friday media briefing on the incoming powerful solar storm, space weather experts said auroras – also called the northern lights – may be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California Friday and Saturday nights.
The further north you are, the better your chances are of seeing the colorful phenomenon. But people further south aren’t totally out of luck.
If the skies are clear, try pointing your phone camera up, suggested Michael Bettwy, operations chief of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).
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“You may be surprised when you look at that image later,” Bettwy said. Because newer phone cameras are more sensitive to light than our eyes, they’re sometimes able to capture auroras we can’t see.
“You may not be able to see it with your naked eye, but if you have a clear night with not that many clouds, and you put your phone to the sky, you may actually get an image or two,” Bettwy said.
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When asked if people as far south as Florida could see the northern lights – through their phone cameras or otherwise – Bettwy said it was “possible,” even if not likely. “With some of the recent events, we’ve seen them as far as south Texas and even down to Central America.”
Friday night’s solar event is expected to be stronger than we’ve seen since 2005, further boosting people’s chance of seeing northern lights.
Visit Iceland (where northern lights are visible more frequently) recommends adjusting your phone’s settings to get the best shots. Look for something like “night mode” or another way to lengthen the camera’s exposure to help capture more light. Using a tripod can also help keep your hands steady.
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