How to See the Northern Lights This Weekend
Some lucky portions of the northern U.S. will get to witness the Northern Lights this weekend, a result of a coming geomagnetic storm. The Northern Lights will be visible Saturday and Sunday evenings (August 31 and Sept 1) although good views are contingent upon location and the intensity of the geomagnetic activity surrounding the sun.
If you live in certain parts of the northern U.S., you're in for a treat this weekend. That's because we're expecting a geomagnetic storm that's supposed to produce some stellar views of the Northern Lights.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a geomagnetic storm is "a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere—the space surrounding a planet that reacts to that planet's magnetic field—that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth."
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Pending clear skies, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, and the Dakotas will be able to catch a glimpse of an aurora, otherwise known as the Northern Lights. Forbes reports that "a faint green layer will be visible in the northern sky from cities like Omaha, Des Moines, Chicago, Milwaukee, South Bend, Indianapolis," and others closer to the east, such as Pittsburgh, New York City, and Boston.
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If you're going to try shooting footage of the Northern Lights, use a manual camera. That way, you can choose the exposure. Forbes also recommends using the widest angle lens you can find, just as long as you refrain from using the zoom feature. And use your tripod to avoid shaky shots.
You'll also want to keep the flash off and use a remote shutter cable to prevent the camera from moving.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/see-northern-lights-weekend-173700572.html