Who are the Michigan Aurora Chasers?
The Michigan Aurora Chasers began as a Facebook Group to help people find and photograph the Northern Lights in Michigan and the surrounding areas. Since the group was founded on January 20, 2021, our community has grown to about 60,000 members, and it has become very active both online and in real life!
As a group, we create many opportunities to bring Aurora Chasers together. Check out some of our recent projects:
- Our First Edition Design Contest led us to sell some Michigan Aurora Chasers Gear & Apparel. Proceeds benefit the International Dark Sky Association.
- The Second Edition Design Contest offers a $75 prize and you can submit here! Deadline extended until April 15, 2023!
- On April 1, 2023, we are holding the first Michigan Aurora Chasers Workshop. The event is sold out, but all are welcome to register for the Social and Night Shoot at 7:30pm, Saturday, April 1. Please register at the website. We hope to post presentations online after the event.
- We have started to hold meet-up events, such as the Michigan Aurora Chasers Social
- Our members are active with the hashtag(s) #MIAuroraChasers and #MIAurora on Twitter and Instagram
- To share some of our best advice, I created a blog for Aurora Chasing in the U.S.
- The group founder also wrote a book, now available online: “Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region.”
Learn more about chasing the Aurora in the mid-latitudes and the Michigan Aurora Chasers group at the links below. Now, the group also offers a public-facing Facebook Page for updates about the Michigan Aurora Chasers.
Opportunities
• The international Aurora Summit is still accepting presentations to Become a Presenter! If you have a topic idea, enter your idea on the website. Deadline extended until April 10: TheAuroraSummit.com/Get-Involved
• Want to become a Group Expert in the Michigan Aurora Chasers? The admins are always keeping an eye out for seasoned Aurora Chasers who help answer questions and give freely of their knowledge in helpful posts in our Facebook Group. Just start sharing your expertise with the group. We are very appreciative of everyone who helps out, and your participation does not go unnoticed!
In the Press
The Michigan Aurora Chasers was founded by Melissa F. Kaelin, who also co-founded the Aurora Summit and wrote the book “Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region.”
The group features a talented team of administrators, as well as a growing number of Group Experts, who help understand what they are seeing and photographing in the mid-latitudes, where Aurora is very rare. They also hold an occasional #LiveChase sharing advice both in person and on social media, when Aurora activity is eminent.
After helping hundreds of beginning Aurora enthusiasts catch their first display of Northern Lights, the Michigan Aurora Chasers has been featured prominently in the television, radio and print news. Below are a few of the more prominent media outlets and feature articles.
- Group Expert Ricky Aldaco was featured on Click on Detroit after the G3 Storms on February 26, 2023.
- Admin Marybeth Kiczenski was featured as a 2022 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year by Capture the Atlas!
- We were featured in WDIV Local 4 News and Click on Detroit in an interview with Melissa F. Kaelin: Writer, Artist & Stargazer!
- Several of our photographers had their images featured by the Weather Channel after a #LiveChase! They included Nick Merc, Justin Miller, Lynn Leiterman, Christina Cantu Sharp, Joanne Furton, Sankalp Merchant and Nate Stovall! The Weather Channel also interviewed our “Extreme Aurora Chaser” Marybeth Kiczenski! View the social media post.
- Group Expert Lucy McClellan-Hunter was featured with writing and photography in “Northern Michigan Woman” Magazine!
- Maya Kairunas had photography featured in a column for 98.7 WFGR Radio in Grand Rapids, written by Scott Winters! https://wfgr.com/they-really-do-exist-i-finally-saw-the-northern-lights/
- Group Expert Emily Elizabeth Cook was interviewed for an article in The Washington Post! https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/northern-lights-canada-alaska-minnesota/
Graphic Design
The first Michigan Aurora Chasers design was created by one of our own, Jama Bains, who won the 1st Edition Michigan Aurora Chasers Design contest. Thank you to our artist!
melissa f. kaelin 