Where to see the northern lights in the UK
The part of the UK closest to the auroral oval is northern Scotland: Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Skye and the Cairngorms. There the aurora shows with moderate activity under a clear sky; Edinburgh, Northern Ireland and northern England need a stronger storm, and London a strong one.
- Kp today
- up to 4.7
- May reach tonight
- 10 of 11
- places at Kp up to 4.7
Places in the UK: Kp needed and season
The Kp needed and the season are calculated from coordinates. "Tonight" uses today's peak Kp and the season; clouds are on each place's page.
| Place | Kp needed | Season | Tonight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shetland | 2.1 | August to April | may reach |
| Orkney | 2.5 | August to April | may reach |
| Thurso (Caithness) | 2.7 | August to April | may reach |
| Isle of Skye | 3.0 | August to April | may reach |
| Inverness | 3.1 | August to April | may reach |
| Aviemore (Cairngorms) | 3.3 | August to April | may reach |
| Aberdeen | 3.5 | August to April | may reach |
| Edinburgh | 3.9 | August to May | may reach |
| Giant’s Causeway (Northern Ireland) | 4.0 | August to May | may reach |
| Kielder (Northumberland) | 4.3 | August to May | may reach |
| London | 6.3 | all year round | won't reach |
How to photograph the northern lights with a phone
A recent phone is enough: what matters is keeping it still and a long exposure.
Night mode
Turn on the camera's night mode. An iPhone held perfectly still offers exposures up to 30 seconds by itself; on Android use "Night" or "Night Sight".
Tripod or support
The phone must stay still: a tripod, a backpack, the car roof. Use a 3-second timer so tapping the shutter doesn't blur the shot.
Manual mode
If you have "Pro": a 5–15 second exposure (shorter for fast-moving aurora), ISO 800–3200, focus at infinity, white balance around 3500–4000 K.
No flash, no lights
Switch off the flash and dim the screen. Step away from streetlights — eyes and camera adapt to the dark in 15–20 minutes.