Chase the Northern Lights, and find out what it takes to catch a view in your own backyard.
An avid Aurora Chaser, I’m excited to share my advice on capturing the Northern Lights in the lower 48 states. Get tips for beginners and overcome the many obstacles to catch an amazing display. If you enjoy the content, subscribe below.
Latest Posts
A Unique Viewing Location for Everyone
Try these eight ideas when you are searching for a location to get a spectacular view of the Northern Lights.
Five Simple Steps for Tracking Solar Flares
As Aurora Chasers, we love hearing about new solar flares. But many things have to happen for a solar flare to have any visible impact on our night skies.
Understanding the Trending Set of Aurora Alerts
Are you getting substorm alerts on your phone or device? Learn how to understand this popular tool!
Catch the Corona in the Mid-Latitudes
The corona is a type of Aurora that’s unmistakable, creating elaborate formations in the center of the night sky.
Ask How, Not Where to View Aurora
Often, people who chase the Northern Lights can become too focused on WHERE to view, not HOW to view Aurora. Little do they know, the “how” is more important.
Seven Ways to Find an Aurora Viewing Location
So, you want to see the Aurora! Here are seven ways to find a great Aurora Viewing Location, which are included in my new Empowered Guide.
Hope for Aurora Chasers after an Epic Fail
Keep hope alive! When I first started chasing Aurora over 12 years ago, I made every mistake in the book. It took me over one year and five epically failed attempts before I caught my first Aurora.
Make or Break Your Shot: The Beauty of Night Sky Etiquette
Take a few easy steps to ensure everyone around you can enjoy the night sky.
Can You See Aurora through Clouds?
Under the relentless cloud cover of our northern winters, a question has been circulating in the Aurora Chasing community. “Can you see the Northern Lights through the clouds?”
An Inspiring Opportunity in Iceland
Is it a dream? In November, I’ll travel to Iceland as an Aurora tour guide!
Delight Your Eyes: How to View Aurora with the Unaided Eye in the States
Are you chasing a rare phenomenon you can’t even see? In the lower 48 states, the answer could be yes.
A Forecast Is A Forecast Is A Forecast
When forecasting Aurora, scientists simply don’t have enough data and eyes on outer space to know the whole story behind each instance of strong solar activity, which leads to low-latitude Aurora.
Train Your Eyes on the Sky: A Field Guide
So, you’ve chased the Northern Lights in the U.S. and come home empty-handed. You may have been looking right at the Aurora and not even realized it! This field guide will tell you how to know for sure.
The Pros and Cons of Relying on Kp
When you’re trying to catch the Northern Lights for the first time, it’s natural to wonder when you can see them and where. The answer to these questions, it turns out, is not so easy.
Let’s Be Real: Forecasting for the Unaided Eye
Are you hoping to see the colors of the Northern Lights with your own eyes? It helps to determine your goals when you start Aurora Chasing. What is it that you are setting out to do?
What Kind of Aurora Chaser Are You?
How would you describe yourself as an Aurora Chaser? If you really get into Aurora Chasing, I think it helps to determine what your goals are while you are pursuing the Northern Lights.
Three Easy Methods for Aurora Forecasting
What methods of Aurora forecasting work best in real time? There are many ways to tell when Aurora are possible in Earth’s atmosphere.
Bringing the Aurora Chase to YouTube
A series of video tutorials offers tips for beginners and tips to support Aurora Chasers anywhere.
A Simple Guide to Aurora Forecasting in the U.S.
What causes the Northern Lights and why is it so difficult to predict? In simple terms, our planet’s Aurora are created by the solar wind that is emitted from the sun’s surface.
Aurora Chasing at the 42nd Parallel
When you get discouraged, take a closer look at the odds. What are the odds of capturing a vivid Northern Lights display as far south as the 42nd Parallel?
Below the 45th Parallel: Book Release
Chase the Aurora in the Great Lakes region! Find out what it takes to catch this phenomenon in your own backyard with my new guidebook.
Scout Out the Best Viewing Locations
The ideal perspective for viewing Aurora is one that is uniquely yours, chosen with your own individual lifestyle and goals in mind.
10 Years of Aurora Chasing
To celebrate 10 years of chasing this rare natural phenomenon, I traveled to Alaska near the 65th Parallel — where I can dance with the Aurora in her own neighborhood. The North.
Inspired by Night Sky Myth & Legend
There’s more than one way to tell your story. With a new perspective, this piece shares insight into my adventures as an Aurora Chaser.
Aurora On Angel’s Wings
It’s 2 a.m. My eyes are bleary, my arms and legs tender from a lack of sleep. My dog can hardly keep her head upright, whether she is indoors or out, and my man looks once more longingly at the sky, as I do. This is how we appear after a night of Aurora Chasing.
Whistling on a Mountain
If one happens to be out alone at night under the Aurora Borealis and hears a whistling sound, one has only to whistle in return, and the lights will come closer out of curiosity.
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melissa f. kaelin 