Is the aurora borealis really that mind-blowing? Or is it just your cellphone photos?

An undated image of the northern lights in Juneau, Alaska, shows what a camera with a longer exposure captures. As astrotourism booms, the northern lights get a boost from digital photography. — CHRIS MILLER/©2025 The New York Times Company

In August, over a calm Michigan lake, Karl Duesterhaus, 34, of Chicago, was treated to an unusual phenomenon: the northern lights, which appeared as hazy colours in a brighter-than-usual night sky. It was a cool experience, he said, but he was surprised when he looked at cellphone photos taken the night before.

“The colours were much more defined,” he said.