Northern lights at the Giant’s Causeway tonight, 19 October
The north coast of Northern Ireland faces straight north across the sea towards Scotland. The aurora over the basalt columns and Dunluce Castle shows during storms. This place needs Kp 4.0: it takes elevated activity, the aurora shows low in the north. Season: August to May.
- Kp today
- up to 4.7
- Kp needed
- 4.0
- it takes elevated activity, the aurora shows low in the north
- Tonight
- May reach
- peak Kp 4.7 against 4.0 needed
- Dark hours
- 19:38–06:44
- Sun below −12°
Will I see it tonight at the Giant’s Causeway
Aurora probability, hourly cloud cover, the Moon and where to drive away from the lights — for this spot.
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Northern lights at the Giant’s Causeway: what to know
- Kp 4.0
- needed for this place
- August to May
- season — when nights are dark
- 14 h
- dark hours in mid-December
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.