Have you ever found yourself missing the Northern Lights, as they dance in an epic fashion over our Michigan skies? Ever wished you weren’t stuck in a long period of low activity or endless cloud cover? Ever wanted to just adventure out into the dark to see what you find, no matter what?!? That’s why we introduced something new in 2025!
Enter the MI Aurora Experience.
The Michigan Aurora Chasers Experience is a new type of event — a cross between a Live Chase and a MI Aurora Social. Unlike a Live Chase, we will schedule these events in advance before we know what the conditions will bring. Unlike a Social, we will make a dedicated effort to catch the Aurora together, with no guarantees.
What is a MI Aurora Experience?
Using the expertise of our lead team, we’ve come up with a new style of event for the Michigan Aurora Chasers and the greater public. We wanted a way to help others learn what they need to know while chasing the Northern Lights, even if we’re not certain the Aurora will appear on a given night.
The Aurora Experience is a cross between a Social (where we gather with people even when there’s total cloud cover) and a Live Chase (where we’re nearly certain we will lead you to an Aurora sighting). The Experience captures the sweet spot in between.
Every Aurora Experience will bring people together outdoors to embark on a guided chase, where our group experts and members will put their skills and talents together to catch the Northern Lights. We won’t always succeed, but we will teach you the ropes of Aurora Chasing on the way. You are responsible for your own lodging, meals, gear, and comfort, among other things.
This is a free event, with a suggested donation of $5 to one of our guides. You can make a donation using our tip jar websites on BuyMeACoffee.com: MichiganAuroraChasers.com/Team
Similar to the Live Chase, we will provide at least one vetted Guide to help you try to catch Aurora, but we can’t make any promises about the weather. We leave it to each Guide to decide whether to meet rain-or-shine, or cancel in the event of inclement weather.
Weather on Earth and in Space can only be predicted about 3 days in advance, so we have no way of knowing what we will encounter this far in advance. It’s just one of those things!
What the Experience IS:
• An outdoor adventure, often in very cold temps for long hours
• A learning experience, where you can get tips on everything from forecasting to apps to photography
• A safe way to challenge/practice your skills in the dark
• A chance to meet other Aurora Chasers
• An official event offered by our Group Experts
What the Experience IS NOT:
• A guarantee of Aurora
• A guarantee of clear skies
• Confidence there won’t be snow or storms or wildfire smoke
• For the faint of heart or impatient people!
• The best way to see Northern Lights
What to bring:
- Camera or phone camera and tripod
- Warm outdoor clothing
- Snacks or beverages you will want/need
- Lawn chair, picnic blanket or something to sit on
- Something to take notes on, if you like
- Recommend: Thermos of hot cocoa or coffee
- Recommend: Extra batteries, extra memory cards
What you should know:
Anyone attending a Mi Aurora Experience should prepare for long hours outside at night, and familiarize themselves with Night Sky Etiquette.
Ready to attend an event? Please take a moment to learn Night Sky Etiquette.
Find an Event
To find upcoming events, please visit our events page: MichiganAuroraChasers.com/events
These guided Aurora Chases would not be possible without the help of our Group Experts, Admins and Members, who give generously of their knowledge and advice. Thank you to our amazing team!
If you’d like to show your support for our team, you’re welcome to share Your Stories or visit our Team page.
Photography: The beautiful photograph for our Mi Aurora Experience graphic was created by Jen Boss Mainka!
Past Events
- July 25, 2025, Au Train, Michigan (Cancelled due to wildfire smoke)
- May 3. 2025, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Glen Haven, Michigan
- May 30, 2025, Wilderness State Park, Mackinaw City, Michigan
- 1st Michigan Aurora Experience — April 24, 2025, Point Betsie Lighthouse, Frankfort, Michigan
Michigan Aurora Chasers 