Bay Area photographer shares northern lights photo tips

The most brilliant display of the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, since early May was seen in the Bay Area Sunday night into Monday morning.

The first views started popping up online from local photographers and the Alert California cameras into the 11 p.m. hour Sunday night.

Viewers from Lake Tahoe to Alameda County in the Bay Area were able to capture views despite cloud cover at times.

Among them was Kent Porter, photographer with The Press Democrat, who shared his experience and photo-taking tips for viewers looking to get the best photos from a rare night of aurora borealis in the Bay Area.

While conditions are not expected to be as strong over the next few nights, the sun remains near its period of solar max or peak sunspot activity. Strong to severe geomagnetic storms are more likely to occur at times into next year before subsiding later in 2025.

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Photos: Views of the Northern Lights across the Bay Area