How to see the Northern Lights on your phone as surprising move increases hopes

You might have seen lots of photos of the Northern Lights on social media after they were visible in the UK – but how exactly are people capturing these images?

The Northern Lights lit up skies throughout the UK on Thursday night, with the Met Office also giving its verdict on whether they will also be visible tonight. 

Seeing the Northern Lights with your own eyes isn’t always possible, but through your mobile phone, you might be able to capture a great picture.

By using the long exposure feature on your camera, the lights will show up better on your phone than you’ll be able to see with your own eyes.

But why is this? The long exposure feature uses a longer shutter speed which captures moving elements that are blurred.

Developments in smartphone technology mean that new mobile phones are sometimes able to capture things better than we can see them ourselves.

If you have an Apple iPhone and you are taking a picture in the dark, the camera usually defaults to use a form of long exposure but you can extend the amount of time it does this for.

On the most modern smartphones, the long exposure feature can be easily set before you take your image.

It’s important to note that you need to keep the camera as still as possible with this feature so that your image won’t come out blurry.

You’re effectively taking the picture for a few seconds so if you move your phone, the image won’t be clear.

You also need to make sure you keep your flash off – the image will be best captured in the dark.

If you live in an area where there is less light pollution, meaning less outdoor artificial lighting such as street lights, then you’re in with the best chance of seeing the lights and taking that all important photograph.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has revealed where the Northern Lights will be visible tonight.