From the sky archive · Aurora
How to see and photograph the aurora australis
This guide has lived at this address since 2005. It has been rewritten for the way people chase the aurora now, with phone cameras and live data.
If you want the background first, the aurora basics page explains what the aurora is and why the south of the country sees it most.
1. Set up alerts
Aurora displays rarely give more than a day's notice and the best part can last under an hour. Sign up for alerts so you are not relying on luck.
- The Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather Services aurora page issues aurora watches (a day or two ahead, after a coronal mass ejection) and alerts (when activity is happening now). They are written for Australia but apply just as well to New Zealand.
- The NOAA planetary K-index and real-time solar wind readings tell you what is happening right now.
Our post on reading an aurora forecast from New Zealand covers what Kp, Bz and solar wind speed mean in practice.
2. Check the cloud
Space weather is only half of it. Look at the cloud forecast for your area and for a short drive in each direction. A clear gap 40 minutes away is often worth more than a stronger storm under overcast.
3. Choose where to go
You need two things: dark sky and a low, open southern horizon.
- Get away from street lights and out of the glow of the nearest town, especially if that town lies to your south.
- South-facing beaches, headlands and hilltops work well because the sea gives a flat horizon.
- Pick a spot you know in daylight. Steep tracks and coastal rocks are a different proposition at midnight.
- Tell someone where you are going, take warm layers and a torch with a red setting.
4. Face south and let your eyes adjust
Face south, or slightly south-east or south-west. Turn off white lights and avoid looking at your phone screen at full brightness. Your eyes take 20 to 30 minutes to adapt fully to the dark, and a single glance at a bright screen sets you back. Turn screen brightness to minimum and use a red filter or night mode if your phone has one.
5. Camera settings
A camera sees aurora far better than the eye because it gathers light over several seconds.
Phone: use night mode, prop the phone on something solid or use a small tripod, and let it take its longest exposure. Point it south even if you cannot see anything yet.
Camera with manual control:
| Setting | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Lens | Widest you have, e.g. 14-24 mm |
| Aperture | Wide open, f/2.8 or as close as possible |
| ISO | 1600 to 3200 |
| Shutter | 5 to 15 seconds; shorter if the aurora is moving fast |
| Focus | Manual, focused on a bright star using live view zoom |
| White balance | Around 3500 to 4000 K, or auto and adjust later |
Use a tripod and a two-second timer or remote release. Take a test frame, check the screen, and adjust. A foreground of hills, trees or a coastline makes the picture.
6. What to expect
On a modest night you may see only a pale glow or faint pillars low in the south, with the camera showing green and red. On a strong night you will see shifting curtains, rays reaching well up the sky and colour without help. Activity often comes in bursts, sometimes 30 to 60 minutes apart, so be patient. Many of the best displays happen in the hours either side of local midnight, but there are no fixed rules.
7. After the display
If the activity drops, wait a while before packing up. A second surge is common during a big storm. Then check the forecast data again; it often explains what you just saw, and helps you judge the next one.