The aurora borealis is high on my list of the most amazing natural phenomena you can witness in Minnesota. Seasoned outdoorsmen may casually recall seeing the northern lights during a trip to the Boundary Waters, but for many, catching a glimpse can be a challenging task.
I love the chase. As a new photojournalist at MPR News, one of my goals is to share my love of the state’s natural wonders. A powerful solar storm is forecast to hit Earth on Wednesday, and there is significant potential for aurora displays as far south as Iowa.
MPR News Editor Andrew Krueger is an experienced aurora chaser (and excellent photographer in his own right). He shared some great tips on how to spot the Northern Lights in 2019.
Here are Andrew’s top tips:
Identify some trusted sources that can provide alerts when auroras are possible
Do some research in advance for north-facing locations away from bright lights
Check the weather conditions
Get out there!
He also points out that the aurora is extremely difficult to predict.
Tonight, I’m getting ready to chase the aurora in southern Minnesota. I’ll walk you through my preparations, the gear I’m bringing, and what resources I use to pinpoint my target area.
First, and not to be too self-referential here, Andrew is one of the sources who informed me about the future potential of the aurora display. Here’s a post he shared yesterday:
Knowing that rain has been in the forecast for most of the week, I used the weather models in Pivotal Weather to check for possible cloud cover. Here’s a look at the cloud forecast coverage at 11pm tonight based on HRRR modeling.
This screenshot from Pivotal Weather shows forecast cloud coverage over Minnesota as of 11pm Wednesday.
HRRR via Pivotal Weather
Now that I know where I can go (hopefully) to avoid the clouds, I pull up the Dark Site Finder website and reference the darkest locations shown on the map. This helps me find a place with the least amount of light pollution from nearby cities.
Finally, here’s a quick rundown of the main camera gear I’m using:
Canon EOS R6: a full-frame mirrorless digital camera.
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 lens: a wide angle of view helps to capture as much of the sky as possible.
Benro Tripod: This tripod has a hook at the base to attach a weight, which helps keep the whole setup stable.
Generally, I set my exposure to keep the shutter speed as short as possible. This means opening the aperture and raising the ISO, or digital sensitivity.
I find that shorter exposures help freeze the fleeting features of the aurora—the pillars, rays, and sweeping arcs. Longer exposures tend to blur the lights together into an amorphous color.
For the July aurora display, I used the following settings: lens set to 16mm, aperture at f/2.8, ISO 6400, and shutter speed 6 inches.
In addition to my camera gear, I also make sure to pack a flashlight, bug spray, warm layers, camp chairs, and a notebook for recording exposure settings.
Not convinced you’re ready to photograph the aurora yourself? You can follow me on Twitter as I document my pursuit – but remember, a predicted showing is not a certainty! It takes planning, diligence and luck to catch a glimpse of the magical lights.
