Experience the Aurora
As a group, we create many opportunities to bring Aurora Chasers together. They span a broad range from workshops, socials and programs to the Live Chase.
Scroll down to find:
- Michigan Aurora Socials, Live Chases, and the new Aurora Experience
- The Annual Michigan Aurora Chasers Workshop
- Aurora & Dark Sky Festivals and Conventions
- Workshops offered by Group Experts
- Upcoming events & guest appearances
The Featured Photograph is by Christina Cantu Sharp, taken during a MI Aurora Experience on November 12, 2025, held in Pinckney, Michigan.
Upcoming Events
Join us at one of our upcoming events! You can also watch for opportunities inside the Michigan Aurora Chasers Group on #WorkshopWednesday or under our Events tab.
Stunning Photos, One Camera: Cell Phone Camera Classes
Featuring Admin Patrick Grubba! The Mackinaw City Area Arts Council Presents Cell Phone Camera Classes. Stunning Photos, One Camera. All Skill Levels Welcome!
July 29, August 26 & September 23, 2026
Mackinaw Women’s Club
310 East Jamet, Mackinaw City, Michigan
Admission: $10
Details below:
Extraordinary Aurora: Capturing Our Painted Night Skies
Featuring Founder Melissa F. Kaelin
Workshop at Dockside Books: The Moorings
Admission fee includes free book!
6:30pm, August 1, 2026
Dockside Books, Charlevoix
Join Founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers Melissa F. Kaelin to hear about the Northern Lights, from the historic displays to the quiet nights where a soft glow appears over Northern Michigan. Get tips, tools and techniques to catch more Aurora at home, during exceptional substorms, and on your travels — and explore the wonder of sub-auroral phenomena.
For details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/p/Dockside-Books-61568555034367/
First Fridays! Longway Planetarium
Experience Our Aurora Photography on the Planetarium Dome!
Chasing the Northern Lights
First Fridays: Longway Planetarium
Friday, August 7, 2026 | 6 p.m.
Admission: $10
Longway Planetarium
Flint, Michigan
Get Tickets: https://sloanlongway.org/events/first-fridays-2026-05-01-2026-06-05-2026-07-03-2026-08-07/
Experience the Northern Lights through the eyes of devoted Aurora Chasers and photographers, in stunning imagery from the Michigan Aurora Chasers and beyond. You’ll have a chance to see when, where and how the Aurora appeared, to witness its rare formations and sub-Auroral phenomenon, and to learn how Aurora Chasers across the state are helping to advance the science and our understanding of the Aurora. You’ll also get invaluable advice to see the Northern Lights on your own and join the adventure!
9th Annual Aurora Summit
Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science and Photography of the Aurora
Save the Date! November 6-8, 2026, with an optional pre-conference AS26 Photography Bootcamp from 9-5pm, Friday, Nov 6th. Registration launches in June.
COMING TO HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN!
Our Events
Are you hoping to catch the Northern Lights? Our events offer people a chance to gather, learn, and get hands-on experience chasing, forecasting or photographing the Aurora.
Throughout the year, we hold meet-up events, such as the #LiveChase, the Aurora Experience, and the Michigan Aurora Workshop. To find events and workshops, check back on this website, follow the Michigan Aurora Chasers Facebook Page, or Subscribe for Updates.
In the Michigan Aurora Chasers, we’re thrilled to sustain a welcoming community, and you’re welcome to become a part of it!
MI Aurora Experience
Our Michigan Aurora Experience events are scheduled well in advance, without knowledge of what weather on Earth or weather in Space will bring. It takes favorable conditions both on Earth and in space to see the Northern Lights. Still, during these events, we will take you out into the night and do everything in our power to help you catch the Aurora, teaching you everything we know.
If you’re attending one of these events, know that we have no way of knowing whether you will see the Northern Lights. It all depends on how conditions change during that week and that night. You can find these events posted here on our events page and in the Facebook Group, and sometimes posted on Instagram by @mfkaelin or @MiAuroraChasers.
The Live Chase
Our #LiveChase events are announced with very little notice, as Group Experts and Admins monitor conditions to take note of probably Aurora Activity after nightfall in the Great Lakes region. These events are announced in the Facebook Group on the day of the event, and sometimes on Instagram by @mfkaelin or @MiAuroraChasers.
Guest Appearances
You’re welcome to join our Admins and Group Experts from the Michigan Aurora Chasers for one of their appearances, whether it’s an Aurora Chasing talk, book signing, workshop, conference or festival!
We encourage our lead team to send us the details for any upcoming talks, to add them here alongside talks by the group founder.
Photography Workshops
Looking for a photography, night sky or Aurora Chasing workshop? We encourage anyone offering quality events to post them in the Michigan Aurora Chasers group on Workshop Wednesday, but we try to keep a pulse on what is available, especially by our hardest working volunteers.
Browse the offerings of these expert Aurora Chasers and Destinations:
- Workshops by Shelbydiamondstar Photography
- Workshops by Christina Wiggins Photography
- Workshops by Ryan Jake Jakubowski
- Workshops by Aubrieta Hope & Neil Weaver
- Workshops by JM Naturescapes
- Headlands International Dark Sky Park Events
- Keweenaw International Dark Sky Park Events
- Dr. T.K. Lawless International Dark Sky Park Events
Other Annual Events
Browse the listing below to see what events are coming up and what popular events we hope to offer again. New opportunities are posted by our members and Group Experts every week on #WorkshopWednesday in the Michigan Aurora Chasers Group.
Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival
The event will be held over April 24-26, 2025, and provides three days of learning. Events and workshops will be hosted at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, headquarters for the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park.
Details: https://keweenawdarksky.com/calendar/2025-upper-peninsula-dark-sky-festival/
The Aurora Summit
Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science & Photography of the Northern Lights
Featuring Michigan Aurora Chasers Admins & Group Experts, A conference co-founded by Michigan Aurora Chasers Founder Melissa F. Kaelin and Dixie J. Burbank. Registration is required.
Details: TheAuroraSummit.com
Michigan Aurora Chasers 