How to Capture the Northern Lights with Your Ring Devices

Skywatchers across the United States are in for another treat tonight, November 13, as the Northern Lights could once again be visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time in roughly ten states. This rare display is fueled by a surge of solar activity, including coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — powerful bursts of plasma and magnetic energy from the sun that interact with Earth’s atmosphere to create the aurora’s vibrant colors.

As a result, video doorbells and security cameras in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine aimed toward the northern horizon might capture this dazzling spectacle, even while homeowners are asleep.

Existing home security cameras can significantly increase chances of catching these fleeting moments. Throughout the year, Ring customers have already captured aurora footage using devices they've installed for security purposes.

Eager to potentially catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, Richard pointed his Ring Stick-Up Cam towards the northern horizon. He thought this would be an effective way to monitor the night sky from the comfort of his home. An hour after sunset, Richard checked the Live View on his camera, and was able to see the mesmerizing Northern Lights.

To help more neighbors take advantage of this unexpected sight, we’ve identified four simple ways to optimize cameras to improve chances of recording the Northern Lights:

Ways to Optimize your Ring Device Settings for Aurora Capture:

Color Night Vision - Compatible Ring devices (including the Spotlight Cam Plus and Video Doorbell Pro) can add color to low-light video, helping capture the green and purple aurora hues. Simply turn on Color Night Vision in the Ring App settings to experience the aurora in full color.

Increase Motion Sensitivity - In the Ring app's Motion Settings, set your motion frequency to "Frequent" to increase detection sensitivity and recording frequency, raising chances of capturing brief aurora appearances during the night.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) - Available on select Ring devices, turning on HDR improves video detail and brightness by expanding contrast and color range, helping even faint auroras stand out against dark skies.

Strategic Camera Placement - Position your Ring device facing north with a clear, unobstructed sky view. Avoid bright streetlights or reflective surfaces, and elevate cameras in areas with minimal light pollution for optimal aurora visibility.

With these settings, your Ring devices will work around the clock to capture both security events and spectacular natural displays. With a Ring Home subscription, homeowners can review footage the next morning to see if their devices caught any aurora activity during the night.

If you have a great clip of the aurora captured on your Ring device, simply press the ‘Share’ button on your Ring app and choose ‘Share with Ring’ to submit your footage.