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📷 How to Photograph the Aurora

A practical guide to photographing the aurora borealis, covering equipment, camera settings, composition, focusing at night, and what to expect shooting from the UK.

Physics & Mechanics3DModerate60 FPS

An interactive 3D camera lab that shows how ISO, shutter speed, aperture and focus combine to turn a faint night sky into a bright aurora photograph — or ruin the shot.

🔬 What It Demonstrates

Exposure is the product of ISO, shutter time and aperture; the simulation applies the same relationship to a live rendered scene, while long shutter speeds visibly trail the stars and near-focus blurs the whole frame.

🎮 How to Use

Adjust ISO, shutter speed and aperture and watch the exposure verdict update live. Switch the aurora's Kp activity level and toggle focus between infinity and a near object to see the classic focusing mistake.

💡 Did You Know?

A camera sensor integrating light for 10–15 seconds can reveal aurora colour invisible to the naked eye — which is why phone night mode and long-exposure cameras often "see" the aurora before you do.

⚙ Under the hood

A practical guide to photographing the aurora borealis, covering equipment, camera settings, composition, focusing at night, and what to expect shooting from the UK.

aurora borealisnight photographyastrophotographynorthern lightscamera settingsphotography tipsThree.js

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install