Specific iPhone setting you must turn on to have best chance of capturing Northern Lights

It’s happened again. That disappointed, feeling of disbelief and raging jealousy is back. You’ve woken up this morning (11 October) to find everyone and their dog got to see the Northern Lights from their back garden last night.

It happened big time earlier this year as a huge solar storm caused the skies across the UK to be lit by the aurora borealis in May.

But if you’re in the right place at the right time, you might have another chance of seeing them this weekend. So, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the specific iPhone setting turned on to have the best chance of capturing the Northern Lights.

You know, so you can plaster them all over Instagram for redemption.

They lit up skies across the UK last night (10 October) (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Sorry Android users, you’ll have to interpret this to your phone’s settings or just wait your turn.

If you’ve got an iPhone 11 or a newer model, you should have a ‘night mode’ setting on your camera. Pretty perfectly, this is literally marketed to help you take the best photo possible with the camera lens in low light.

Newcastle-based photographer – who goes by the name Wil Photography (@wil_photography) – previously explained: “If your phone has night mode simply use that and either use a tripod or lean it against something for 10-15 seconds exposure, click on screen to focus on distant bright star and that should work.”

Night mode should switch itself on automatically but if it doesn’t, then you just need to tap the little night mode icon at the top of the screen to turn it on and off.

“If not then download an app called nightcap camera for iPhone or Open camera for Android,” Wil added.

You don’t want to miss the chance of the best snap (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

“With settings – iso 2000 lowest number for f and shutter speed around 10 seconds, again using a tripod, make sure you focus on a distant bright star.”

While last night and the early hours of this morning were the best chances for a sighting of the spectacular sky, Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon told the PA news agency there is chance of further ‘residual viewings’ this weekend but it’s likely to be confined to Scotland.

He also said rain and cloud would also obscure some viewing potential – so basically, last night was sadly the ‘main focus in terms of any aurora visibility’.

These amazing aurora displays happen when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

As they collide, light is emitted at various wavelengths, creating these Instagram-worthy colourful displays above our heads.

Featured Image Credit: George Mattock/Getty/NurPhoto/Getty