Photograph by Aurora Summit Presenter Greg Ash
Numbers are racing through my mind lately. The number of states and countries represented. The number of talented presenters featured. The number of days remaining. The number of Aurora Chasers who will gather in 2024. It can only mean one thing!
It’s almost time for the next Aurora Summit!
Since its inception in 2017, the annual Aurora Summit has become the leading gathering of Northern Lights enthusiasts in the U.S. The weekend-long event is open to anyone, and many of our educational sessions cater to absolute beginners. We also feature intermediate and advanced presentations on space weather forecasting, astrophotography, science, travel and more.
We’re honored this year to welcome Keynote Speaker Dr. Elizabeth MacDonald, who leads the Aurorasaurus project to report and map Aurora sightings around the world. On top of that, we have the honor of hosting the creators of SpaceWeatherLive in their first visit to the U.S. all the way from Europe. Founder and Developer Sander Vancanneyt and Webmaster and Space Weather Analyst Marcel De Bont will travel in from Europe to meet Aurora Chasers and participate in the weekend of Aurora festivities.
This news already has me feeling starstruck! You can start to see why this event always becomes the highlight of my year.
But wait… we also have about a dozen presenters lined up to speak, including one of my own idols Travis Novitsky, who is featured as a photographer in the new book “Spirits Dancing,” and as the narrator of the documentary film “Northern Nights, Starry Skies.” Author Bob King will return with his new book releasing this year “Magnificent Aurora: A comprehensive guide to nature’s greatest light show,” and The Aurora Guy Vincent Ledvina will be back, as well as the 2023 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year and the 2023 Milky Way Photographer of the Year.
When we gather together, we’ll enjoy a group Aurora Chase if the clouds clear, and everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to see their Aurora photographs exhibited on t
These highlights don’t even get to our new features, which will include “How I Got the Shot: Photographer Stories,” a panel discussion on World Travel: Aurora Chasing Destinations, and a revamped pre-conference program for the Aurora Summit 24 Photography Bootcamp, led by Greg Ash. Wow, what a line up!
It’s no surprise we already have 12 states and three countries represented in the RSVP list, including Sweden, Belgium and the U.S., with guests from Alabama, Virginia, Maine, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
And there’s room for more! But hurry, we launch this party October 18-20, 2024, in Northern Wisconsin!
What are you waiting for? Become part of the adventure! Find a beautiful hotel in the on the lovely Lake Superior shoreline in Bayfield, Washburn or Ashland, and come on out to Aurora Summit 24. If you don’t see the Aurora at the Aurora Summit, you’ll leave knowing how to catch it on your own!
Good luck on the Aurora chasing trail!
melissa f. kaelin 