What The Northern Lights Look Like With + Without AI Help

I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where I get to see the Northern Lights every once in a while. We've had some spectacular nights of the Aurora Borealis lately after the solar flares and geomagnetic storms have hit Earth. I've been looking out at the sky each night, and unfortunately, I haven't seen anything. That is, until I take out my camera.

I took a quick video last night of the sky to the north from my back door. I didn't see a hint of the Northern Lights with my naked eye. Yes, I'm in town and there is some light pollution, but usually I can still make them out somewhat.

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Then, my wife took out her iPhone 16 Pro, took a picture, and the Northern Lights showed up beautifully. But my question is, if you need your phone to see it, does it really count?

So the way it works is that the technology on our smartphones now picks up more than our human eyes do. It takes a longer exposure, exposing more colors. Then, AI uses algorithms to enhance the colors and clear up the image. So, when you're taking a photo of the Northern Lights with your phone, you're using AI.

I've seen some absolutely magnificent Northern Lights without the help of AI over the years, but they haven't been anything nearly as vibrant as the AI photos that come out. What do you think? Does it take some of the magic out of the Northern Lights, or is this just a way to experience more of them?