{"id":420687,"date":"2026-01-20T04:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T04:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/420687\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T04:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T04:34:10","slug":"how-to-take-pictures-of-the-northern-lights-on-android","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/420687\/","title":{"rendered":"How to take pictures of the Northern Lights on Android"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Northern Lights have been visible in huge portions of the Northern Hemisphere due to stronger geomagnetic storms. Here\u2019s how to take a picture of the Northern Lights using a Google Pixel smartphone or other Android devices.<\/p>\n

Update 1\/19\/2026: Another major solar storm is hitting<\/a>, bringing the Northern Lights to much of the United States<\/a>. Some say this is the strongest storm since 2003<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Northern Lights \u2013 aurora borealis \u2013 are usually only visible in far north portions of the globe. They\u2019re a result of solar storms passing by the Earth and the charged particles interacting with gases in the atmosphere. It\u2019s a dramatic view in the sky, and this weekend it\u2019s visible in parts of the globe that rarely ever see it. That includes wide portions of the United States. This will vary depending on where you live, the level of light pollution, and many other factors. To the naked eye, you might notice some colors in the sky or a slight tint, but a camera can actually see more in the right conditions.<\/p>\n

Using a long-exposure mode on your camera, such as Google Pixel\u2019s astrophotography, you can capture the Northern Lights in a way that looks even better than it does to the naked eye. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n

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To start, you\u2019ll need two things. A dark environment with minimal light pollution and a tripod.<\/p>\n

Mount your phone to the tripod and open the camera app. Then, on a Pixel, switch to the \u201cNight Sight\u201d mode along the bottom bar. If the Northern Lights are already clearly visible to your eye, you\u2019ll probably be able to capture it just using Night Sight on its own. But astrophotography can capture much more detail, and a time-lapse too.<\/p>\n

To trigger astrophotography on your Pixel, set the phone on a tripod and ensure it\u2019s on a steady surface. After a few seconds staying still, you\u2019ll see a star icon (see image above) appear on the shutter button. Gently tap that button and then your phone will start the process which can take up to 4 minutes.<\/p>\n

\"\"Night Sight mode on Google Pixel<\/p>\n

Once the shot is finished, your phone will process the image and export a still photo as well as a time-lapse of the shot, which is especially fun for capturing the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n

Here are a couple of shots we captured from North Carolina during the first night of the aurora borealis from the May 10, 2024 storm.<\/p>\n

While not many other Android phones have dedicated modes for astrophotography, you can still capture a good shot with standard night modes. Most phones, including Samsung Galaxy devices, will switch to night mode automatically when it\u2019s dark enough.<\/p>\n

A good rule of thumb would be that if you can see the Northern Lights with the naked eye, you phone\u2019s standard night mode can probably capture an image of it too. If you can only barely see the aurora, you\u2019ll likely need to dive into a manual shooting mode and look for long exposure options. <\/p>\n

On modern Samsung Galaxy devices, you\u2019ll be able to access long-exposure in two ways. Under the dedicated \u201cNight\u201d mode, you can switch from auto exposure to \u201cMax.\u201d Alternatively, you can dive into the \u201cPro\u201d mode and crank up the \u201cSpeed\u201d to 5 or 6 seconds. Like with Pixel, you\u2019ll absolutely need a tripod for this.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve taken or use this guide to take pictures of the Northern Lights with your Android phone, share them in the comments below!<\/p>\n

More on Android:<\/p>\n

Follow Ben:\u00a0Twitter\/X<\/a>,\u00a0Threads<\/a>, Bluesky<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Previously updated on 10\/10\/2024<\/a> and 6\/1\/2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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