Copyright FOX 4 News
A severe geomagnetic storm is forecast to arrive at Earth by midday Wednesday and last into the evening, significantly increasing the chances for the northern lights to be visible as far south as Texas. Your smartphone is powerful enough to capture the aurora if you know these key tricks! What is Aurora Borealis? Dig deeper: The cause is a large coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive eruption of plasma from the sun’s corona, that is expected to hit Earth’s magnetosphere. This event could prompt officials to issue a G4 Geomagnetic Storm Watch. Solar storms are ranked on a scale from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a G4 storm is characterized as severe and can cause widespread voltage control issues and disrupt critical infrastructure like cellular networks and radio communications. A geomagnetic storm is defined by NOAA as a significant disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when energy from the solar wind is exchanged into the space environment surrounding Earth. Tips for Viewing the Northern Lights Though the aurora may not be visible to the naked eye in southern latitudes, many modern smartphone cameras can reveal the colors. Here is what you need to know before you head out: Go North and Dark: Find a viewing spot that is as far north as possible, and critically, away from city light pollution. Areas within the DFW Metroplex will offer less visibility than the outskirts. Check the Sky: Make sure there are no clouds above you. Heavy cloud cover will completely obscure the lights. How to Capture the Northern Lights with Your Phone What you can do: DSLR cameras offer the best control for aurora photography, but your smartphone is perfectly capable of capturing hints of the lights. The key is stability and long exposure. Best settings for your camera: Turn Off the Flash: Locate and turn off the lightning bolt symbol on your camera screen. Use Night Mode: If your phone has a dedicated Night Mode (available on iPhone 11 and later, usually indicated by a moon symbol), use it. Night Mode automatically uses a longer exposure time to gather light. Ensure Stability: Any movement during a night shot will cause blurriness. Use a tripod, or brace your phone against a sturdy surface. Use the Timer: To prevent camera shake from tapping the screen, use the timer feature. This gives you time to step away from the phone before the long exposure begins. Manual Adjustments (for iPhones): To access manual controls on an iPhone camera, tap the arrow symbol at the top of the screen. A row of controls will appear at the bottom: Select Exposure: Tap the exposure icon (often the same moon symbol as Night Mode). Set Max Exposure: A slider will appear. Drag the slider to the "Max" setting. This forces the longest possible exposure time, allowing the most light (and color) to hit the lens. Local perspective: We want to see your photos! Submit your photos above.
