How To: Planning an Aurora Image with PlanIt! Pro

The developers of PlanIt! have added a great feature to the Pro version of the app. You can now previsualize a shot with an aurora.

Say what? How can you plan an aurora shot when the aurora is such an elusive event? It’s called planning forward while looking back. As we are into solar maximum, we have a couple of years of seeing aurora in places otherwise out of reach. PlanIt! Pro now includes an aurora calendar that is very helpful in previsualizing a scene with the beautiful, elusive event. Learn how to photograph the aurora in this post.

First Things First

Make sure you have the latest version of the app. This feature is in the Pro version, not the free version.

The calendar now has a new option for aurora next to the Milky Way icon at the bottom of the screen. This calendar displays dates that there was Kp activity.

Say you want to see if the aurora is visible at a specific location. First, search for the location you have in mind. Here, I am wondering if Highland Light is a feasible spot to see the aurora. First, select Aurora Simulation in the Ephemeris Menu. This can also be accessed on Android by swiping through the ephemeris options. Below, a screenshot of the Ephemeris Menu. Aurora Simulation is under the Meteorology and Oceanography. Select it.

Below, Highland Lighthouse selected as the scene location. I picked a spot to place the camera location facing north since in the Northern Hemisphere, aurora is seen around the northern pole of the Earth. If a location is planned in the Southern Hemisphere, the camera location would be facing south.

Select the calendar, navigate to the aurora calendar and select a date that high Kp activity. This will give me a representation of the aurora activity at the time and I can assess if it is a good spot or not for future aurora. I selected October 10th as we had a strong CME and subsequent geomagnetic storm during October 10th and 11th, 2024. That event produced amazing aurora.

Now, select virtual reality. This will show if my goal of photographing the aurora at Highland Light is feasible or not.

The red dot shows the position of the lighthouse. The aurora is definitely visible at this spot so I know that if there is another CME event that generates a similar geomagnetic storm, this plan will work!