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Selected Events

Attend an upcoming event! From writing, art and mentoring to Aurora Chasing, Melissa plans to present at a variety of events. Here’s a quick preview:

June 21-23, 2025 — Dark Sky Sanctuary Adventure with the Michigan Aurora Chasers
July 18, 2025 — 1pm, DBF x DPL Presents Off the Page: Live Talks, Detroit Public Library
July 20, 2025 — 10am-4pm, Detroit Festival of Books Exhibitor
August 1, 2025 — Chasing the Northern Lights, First Fridays: Longway Planetarium
September 20, 2025 — Stargazers’ Overnight Camp Event, A family event in Millersburg, MI
Aurora Summit 25: Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science and Photography of the Aurora, Wisconsin, November 7-9, 2025

VIEW MORE EVENTS

Click on Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV features Melissa F. Kaelin, her leadership role in the Michigan Aurora Chasers, and her new book “Below the 45th Parallel” in a feature for television news.

Featured News

Featured in The New York Times
The New York Times wrote an article about preserving dark skies, after covering the inaugural GLAD Jam (Great Lakes Aurora & Dark-sky) for a piece published November 25, 2025: “Fighting for the ‘Right to Night’ Under Starry, Rural Skies.” Melissa was featured for her work contributing to dark sky advocacy and keynoting the inaugural GLAD Jam.

Aurora Expert and Host for University of Michigan Alumni Travel
Selling out two alumni travel excursions to Iceland and Finland, the University of Michigan Alumni Association tapped Melissa to serve as a Host and Staff Expert to guide travelers to the Northern Lights. Guests have written rave reviews, and Michigan Alumni Magazine featured the trip in an article in the Winter 2024-2025 Edition. Melissa will guide a new tour in February 2026.

“Delightful, attentive, well-informed, extremely knowledgeable about Northern Lights. She was a gem.”

“She is friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the Northern Lights, energetic and a great host.”

2nd Edition Book Release! Beyond the 45th Parallel
In July 2024, Melissa released the book “Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing Aurora in the Mid-latitudes.” The book is the 2nd Edition of The 45th Parallel Series, featuring cover art by Michigan photographers Shannon Kivi and Michele Aucello. The book is available now directly from the publisher, It will officially be released on July 5, 2024, and it is available to be sold in bookstores everywhere! Wholesale rates are available by contacting the author.

Explore my books

Book Reviews

Ann Arbor District Library
Staff Picks
Book Review, April 12, 2023
• “Below the 45th Parallel” was featured in the Ann Arbor District Library Staff Picks

The Metropolitan
March Book Guide
Book Review
• Melissa’s book “Below the 45th Parallel” was featured in a book review for a Detroit audience

Selected Press Coverage

The New York Times
November 25, 2025
• Quoted in “Fighting for the ‘Right to Night’ Under Starry, Rural Skies”: https://nyti.ms/3LQNeVn

Graphic of Aurora with words Travel: The Fall Could Bring the Best Northern Lights in Decades. Here's How to See Them.

Outside Magazine
September 2, 2025; Updated October 16, 2025
• Featured in the travel advice article “How to See the Northern Lights Without Leaving the U.S.”

USA Today, 2024
May 18, 2024
• Featured in “One week ago, the northern lights stunned America. When will it happen again?”

NPR: All Things Considered
May 10, 2024
• Quoted as a primer for “The huge solar storm is keeping power grid and satellite operators on edge”

Michigan Public
May 10, 2024
• Interviewed for the article “Northern lights expected over much of Michigan this weekend”

Thrillist
“Catch the Northern Lights Without Leaving the Lower 48”
Magazine Feature Story, January 16, 2024
• Melissa and the Michigan Aurora Chasers, as well as other Aurora Chasing groups, were featured in a story in Thrillist Magazine.

Northern Express
Magazine Cover Story, November 11, 2023
“Aurora Chasers Teach Us How to Watch the Sky”
• Melissa was interviewed and the Michigan Aurora Chasers group was featured in a story about chasing Northern Lights

iHeartRadio
Radio News Interview, May 21, 2023
“Melissa Kaelin on ‘Chasing the Aurora Borealis'”
• Melissa was interviewed about her new book, the Michigan Aurora Chasers, and the Aurora Summit

DP Review
“Orion and the Aurora: how to photograph these wonders of the winter night sky”
Feature Article, February 2, 2023
• Melissa was interviewed for an article on catching the rare natural phenomenon of the Aurora

In the Press

Selected Columns & Feature Writing

Amateur Astronomy Magazine
Featured in 30th Anniversary Edition for Aurora Chasing, 2023
• Melissa wrote an invited column titled “Making the Dream a Reality”

FOX 47 TV News
“Local artists came together to launch a book and give proceeds to COVID relief”
Interviewed on TV News, June 2021
• Along with several writers from the anthology, Melissa was interviewed on TV news about the Social Gap Experiment Anthology. She created the book out of a pandemic project designed to bridge the gap of social distancing and support those in need during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Lansing State Journal
“Anthology of work from over 40 Greater Lansing artists celebrates connection during pandemic”
Feature Article, June 2021
• The Social Gap Experiment Anthology and the project’s summer book launch, slated for Saturday, June 12, 2021, was featured in the Lansing State Journal.

City Pulse
“Local Creatives Unite for the ‘Social Gap Experiment'”
Feature Article, December 2020
• The Social Gap Experiment Anthology, a publication raising funds for charity, was featured in the City Pulse, the arts and culture newspaper in Lansing, Michigan.

Minnesota Monthly Magazine
“Winter Wonders: Rare and remarkable winter phenomena”
Cover Story, February 2016
• Melissa’s 10-page article on rare and remarkable winter phenomena was featured as the cover story for Minnesota Monthly in the February 2016 edition of the magazine. Coming up with a unique idea, Melissa pitched an essay to the editor on rare weather phenomena observed in northern winters, ranging from hoarfrost and frost flowers, to steam devils and light pillars. She also recommended the work of over a dozen photographers from Minnesota and Wisconsin, and 14 of those photographers were featured in the finished piece. Among the photos chosen for publication was her own image of sun dogs, after she captured the optical phenomenon on a point-and-shoot camera.

City Pages
“Great Lakes Aurora Hunters seek out amazing shots of the Northern Lights”
Arts Blog, March 2016
• Melissa wrote an article on the Northern Lights in the Great Lakes region for the City Pages Arts Blog, featuring a local group where she played an active role. She has written many articles on photography and art for City Pages.

Rewire: Twin Cities Public Television
“Are You MN Enough? Great Lakes Aurora Hunters”
Documentary Short Interview, January 2015
• Interviewed for a short video documentary featuring the Great Lakes Aurora Hunters during their annual gathering in 2014. Here is the link to the Rewire website.

Art Reviews

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Lavender Magazine: Arts Spotlight
Thirty Years of Hope: The Minnesota AIDS Project
Art Review, December 2013
• Melissa’s paintings were reviewed for the first time by John Townsend in Lavender Magazine.

Excerpt:
“Melissa F. Kaelin’s majestic Sweet Raspberry Sunset is softly optimistic. Blackened natural objects on the earth’s surface stand with persevering will and hope as if calling on the universe, beguilingly and colorfully represented by the sky itself.

“The earthbound seem to be reaching for the healing power of a splendid, as opposed to an indifferent cosmos. In Kaelin’s view, it seems to be a cosmos where we can faithfully turn to at those times when we feel insignificant and hopeless.

“Her universe seems to have an overwhelming possibility so powerful that our humanness doesn’t quite yet have the ability to comprehend it. An invocation to cosmic healing energies that are hopefully finally returning to our ailing planet. Good news!”

The Madison Press
Press Interview, April 2013
“Brush strokes soothe grieving heart of former resident”
• Featured on the front page of The Madison Press, in London, Ohio, before participating in Art-A-Whirl 2013.

Special Projects

Social Gap Experiment Anthology Published
Launched in 2020 during the global pandemic, the Social Gap Experiment aims to bridge the gap of social distancing using creative and social media. Aspart of the project, submissions from more than 40 writers and artists were published in the Social Gap Experiment Anthology.

Edited by Melissa F. Kaelin, the book features photography, art, poetry, prose, hip hop lyrics and more. It is available on Amazon, All proceeds support those who have struggled in the global pandemic.

Social Gap Experiment Video Footage

Fiction Published
“The Cosmic Dance,” a work of fiction about an Aurora Chaser, is published in the first-ever REO Town Reading Series Anthology organized by Matthew Rossi. Check out the anthology!

Poetry Published
Two poems were published in the December 2019 edition of The Wild Word. Read the poetry.

Newsletter Updates

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Archive:

December 2021: An Adventure of the Creative Mind
June 2022: Luck on the Aurora Chasing Trail
Next Edition: December 2022 (Tentative)

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Archived Featured News

Popular Book Published! Below the 45th Parallel
In 2022, Melissa published a book “Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region.” The book is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as International Dark Sky Parks and many independent stores!

Social Gap Experiment Anthology Published
Launched during the global pandemic, the Social Gap Experiment was featured on FOX 47 TV News and in the Lansing State Journal in 2021. Edited by Melissa F. Kaelin, the Social Gap Experiment Anthology features more than 40 writers and artists . It is available on Amazon, All proceeds go to charity.

Countdown to Launch
Melissa went behind the scenes for the Solar Orbiter launch in February 2020, as a NASA Social Media Ambassador. Read about the experience!

Other Concepts in Development

Aurora Story
Aurora Chasing: Nonfiction Book Proposal
With the goal of sharing awe-inspiring stories with the world, Melissa is developing a proposal to interview Aurora Chasers, write their story, and publish a book of nonfiction for a public audience.