Events

Join us for Aurora Summit 26!

You’re invited to The Aurora Summit: Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science, and Photography of the Aurora! This event brings Aurora enthusiasts from around the world together each year for a weekend workshop in the U.S. It will be held November 6-8, 2026, at BONFIRE! at the Continental Fire Co. in Houghton, Michigan.

You don’t have to be a scientist or a photographer to attend. We offer beginning, intermediate, and advanced sessions. Our guests have come from over 20 states, three Canadian provinces and four countries — many of them trying to view the Northern Lights for the first time!

Aurora Summit 26

With registration launching in June, Aurora Summit 26 will offer a phenomenal weekend, featuring opportunities to hear from celebrities in the Aurora Chasing and Storm Chasing world, as well as scientists, photographers, artists, storytellers, astronomers and more.

Our event includes:

Featured Keynote Speaker
Educational Sessions
Night Sky Photography Clinics
Photography and Photo Editing Workshops
“Aurora Chasing” Panel Discussion
“Epic Fails: Humorous & Humbling Stories from the Chase” Panel Discussion
Aurora Trivia
Travelogue
Swag, Raffle Prizes & More
Grand Prize! An inclusive ground-trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights in March 2027, courtesy of Cosmic Chaos Adventures! Must be present to win, some conditions apply.

If we don’t see the Northern Lights and photograph it together at the Aurora Summit, you’ll leave knowing how to capture a good display on your own!

Save the Date! Aurora Summit 26
Date: Friday, Nov. 6 – Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
Plus an optional pre-conference day for beginning photographers and volunteers!
Location: BONFIRE! at the Continental Fire Co., Houghton, Michigan
(Hotel reservations open in June; Click to view our guide for hotels)
Admission: $349 Full Admission | Admission is required to attend, and full admission Includes all meals.
Register: https://aurorasummit26.eventzilla.net/e/2138672815
#AuroraSummit26

View our pre-conference program: Aurora Summit 25 Photography Bootcamp

View the Aurora Summit schedule: TheAuroraSummit.com/schedule

Aurora Summit 26 Keynote Speaker

The 9th Annual Aurora Summit will feature Keynote Speaker Joe Buffalo Child, CEO of North Star Adventures!

Joe’s connection to the land began on the traplines with his grandparents. Some of his earliest memories are of the aurora dancing above. “My grandmother taught us that when the lights are dancing and the solar wind is moving fast, it’s the spirit of someone who passed, reaching out—letting you know they are okay and reminding you to live a good life,” Joe says.

While beliefs vary among Inuit and First Nations groups, Joe views the lights as a message of goodwill from the ancestors. On his tours, he offers this deep cultural and spiritual context to his guests. He finds the greatest reward when visitors find personal healing or “genuine experiences” under the sky, noting that “that’s better than any tip.”

Joe is the CEO and principal owner of North Star Adventures, a tour company based out of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Founded in 2007, North Star Adventures was created by Joe and his family to showcase Dene culture while honoring his ancestors. Joe is known for his unique ability to find the northern lights even on cloudy nights—a skill he attributes to his grandfather’s lessons on reading the weather, clouds, and birds.

Hear about the Northern Lights from directly under the Auroral Oval in the Northwest Territories!

Join Tour Guide Joe Buffalo Child as he shares his experience as an indigenous Aurora Chaser living in Yellowknife, Canada, in the Northwest Territories.

Our Aurora Summit 26 Presenters

During Aurora Summit 26, we will feature the Keynote Speaker, as well as many new presenters! We’re excited to share that the conference will feature the following presenters:

Keynote Speaker Joe Buffalo Child, CEO of North Star Adventures
Marc Rassel, award-winning photographer, workshop leader and aurora chaser in Minnesota
Donna Lach, Researcher, Aurorasaurus Ambassador, Admin & Photographer
Patrick Grubba, International Dark Sky Park Volunteer & Admin of the Michigan Aurora Chasers
Vincent Ledvina, Professional Aurora Chaser, Photographer, Author & Tour Guide
Thomas Oliver, Author, Educator, Wilderness First Responder & Michigan State Park Ambassador
Tanya Melnik, Space Weather Unplugged Co-Host & Admin of Upper Midwest Aurora Chasers
Alan Atwood, Photographer & Aurora Chaser
Paul Schneider, Professional Photographer & Aurora Chaser
Richard Montano, Admin, Aurora Chaser & Photographer
Andy Berry, Pilot & Aviation Forecast Expert
Jeremy Cruz, Wildlife & Fisheries Expert, Aurora Chaser & Photographer

As well as panel discussions and special programs presented by Aurora Summit Co-Founders:
Dixie J. Burbank, Admin of Aurora and Night Sky Adventures and Tour Guide at Cosmic Chaos Adventures, LLC
Melissa F. Kaelin, Founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers and Author of “Beyond the 45th Parallel,” a beginner’s guide

Get all the conference updates the moment they are announced! Join our group for Aurora Summit alumni and friends on Facebook: FB.com/Groups/AuroraSummit

Aurora Summit 26 Presentations

The presentations will include Aurora Chasing, travel, apps, photography, time-lapse, science, forecasting, culture and more. Topics may be subject to change.

Our presentations will feature:

“Clouds! Using Aviation Forecasts to Predict Clear Skies”
“Cultural Beliefs Concerning Aurora Borealis”
“iPhone Night Photography; Equipment, Tips and Tricks”
“Auroral Citizen Science – A fulfilling add-on for aurora photographers”
“Beyond the Forecast: Meaningful Aurora Experiences”
“Capturing Real-Time Video and Timelapse of the Northern Lights”
“Aurora Apps: Data at Your Fingertips”
“Aurora Photography – Capturing the Auroras with Manual Camera Settings”
“Foregrounds, the Foreplay of Aurora Photography: How to Find Better Places to Do It”
And more! Updates coming soon!

Registration Launches in June!

Recap of Aurora Summit 25

Aurora Summit 25 Keynote Speaker

The 8th Annual Aurora Summit will feature Keynote Speaker Dan Zafra, Creator of Capture the Atlas!

Dan Zafra is a professional landscape and astro-landscape photographer from Spain, who is based in Las Vegas, California. His main area of expertise is night photography, with a special emphasis on Northern Lights and Milky Way photography using star-trackers.

Dan’s mission is to help others discover, learn and master their landscape and night photography. He has spent years pursuing this passion, online through articles, guides and his night photography courses, and offline through his signature astro-landscape photography workshops.

Dan is the creator and curator of The Northern Lights Photographer of the Year, an annual list of honorees that inspire people worldwide to go out and photograph the Aurora. He’s also the creator of the popular Capture the Atlas Milky Way Calendars, which help thousands of photographers plan their Astro shots around the world every year.

“Chasing Stormlight: From First Aurora to Once-in-a-Lifetime Skies”

Join astrophotographer Dan Zafra on a visual journey through some of the most extraordinary auroral displays of the past decade; from a surprise G3-class solar storm that sparked his passion, to rare shows and alignments like an aurora during a lunar eclipse. Through storytelling and stunning imagery, Dan shares the moments that changed his life, the lessons learned chasing the unpredictable, and what it truly means to photograph the night sky at its most magical.

Our Aurora Summit 25 Presenters

During Aurora Summit 25, we will feature Keynote Speaker Dan Zafra, as well as many new presenters!

We’re excited to share that the conference will feature the following presenters:

Keynote Speaker Dan Zafra, Creator of Capture the Atlas
Marc Rassel, award-winning photographer, workshop leader and aurora chaser in Minnesota
Stephanie Vermillion, National Geographic Author of “100 Nights of a Lifetime” & Adventure Journalist
Chandresh Kedhambadi, Alberta Aurora Chasers Expert, Citizen Scientist & Photographer
Vincent Ledvina, Aurora Scientist and Professional Aurora Chaser at “The Aurora Guy”
Jeff Pfaller, Photographer & Author of “Dark Skies: Rare Phenomena in America’s Public Lands”
Aubrieta Hope, Photographer & Workshop Leader
Bob King, Author of “Magnificent Aurora: Your complete guide to nature’s greatest light show”, Aurora Chaser and blogger at AstroBob’s Astronomy for Everyone
Samer Hobeika “Zenderfull”, Aurora Tour Guide & Photographer
Steve Luther, Aurora Chaser, Photographer & Space Weather Scholar

As well as panel discussions and special programs presented by Aurora Summit Co-Founders:
Dixie J. Burbank, Admin of Aurora and Night Sky Adventures and Tour Guide at Cosmic Chaos Adventures, LLC
Melissa F. Kaelin, Founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers and Author of “Beyond the 45th Parallel,” a beginner’s guide

Get all the conference updates the moment they are announced! Join our group for Aurora Summit alumni and friends on Facebook: FB.com/Groups/AuroraSummit

Aurora Summit 25 Presentations

The presentations will include Aurora Chasing, travel, apps, photography, time-lapse, science, forecasting, culture and more. Read on!

Our presentations will feature:

Space Weather 101: How the Sun and Its Phenomena Lead to Aurora and Affect Our Daily Lives
Stars in My Eyes: How to Compose & Shoot Powerful Aurora Photos
What is an auroral substorm? How can you forecast one?
Dancing Lights and Chasing Dreams: Canadian Stories and Perspectives Under the Aurora
Aurora Tourism: The North’s Most Unique Lights-Chasing Experiences
From Auroras to Meteors: A Beginner’s Guide to Capturing the Night’s Rarest Spectacles
Scouting the ideal location and how the aurora changed my life
Shooting and Processing Northern Lights Timelapses
From Scottish Kilts to Valhalla: Aurora in Legend
Capturing Aurora on camera around the world
Special program with the author of “Magnificent Aurora: Your complete guide to nature’s greatest light show”
A discussion of Solar Storms and Solar Cycle 25, including Solar Minimum
And more!

Registration Launches in June!

A Look Back at Past Events

Discover everything the Aurora Summit brings to the community! Learn about our past keynote speakers and featured presenters below and in the Archives.

Our Keynote Speakers

We’re honored and grateful to work with fantastic keynote speakers, inviting a new individual to speak every year. Many phenomenal people have contributed their talents to the main event at the Aurora Summit, during the Saturday evening banquet and the night sky photography shoot that follows.

Invited Keynote Speakers:

Aurora Summit 24: Dr. Liz MacDonald, credentialed heliophysicist and Founder of Aurorasaurus
Aurora Summit 23: Alan Dyer, author of the “The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide”
Aurora Summit 22: Dr. Tamitha Skov, credentialed astrophysicist and Space Weather Woman
Aurora Summit 21: Keynote Speaker Marybeth Kiczenski, an adventure photographer and writer for Milky Way Photographers who was featured in Sky & Telescope
Aurora Summit 20: Postponed Due to Global Pandemic
Aurora Summit 19: Keynote Speaker Chris Ratzlaff, Alberta Aurora Chasers Admin and Citizen Scientist Leader behind the sub auroral arc known as STEVE
Aurora Summit 18: Keynote Speaker Mary Stewart Adams, Host of The Storyteller’s Night Sky and Founder of Headlands International Dark Sky Park
Aurora Summit 17: Keynote Speaker Bob King, of Astro Bob’s Astronomy for Everyone and Author of Night Sky With the Naked Eye

Our Featured Presenters

We’re excited to welcome so many outstanding presenters to the Aurora Summit! As our way of saying thank you, we share information from past presenters on the Resources page. To learn about past presentations, visit the Archives.

Every year, many outstanding ideas and proposals are entered for presentations at the Aurora Summit, using the submission process on our website. With so much talent in the room, we have to make some tough choices.

Follow our social media to find out who will present at the next Aurora Summit!

Past Events

In our inaugural year, we welcomed guests from more than eight states and provinces, including guests from as far as Georgia and Manitoba.

Our Inaugural Event!
Aurora Summit 17
Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science, and Photography of the Aurora Borealis
Friday, Oct. 27 – Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017
Two Harbors, Minnesota
Register: AuroraSummit17.MikeShawPhotography.com (Closed)
#AuroraSummit17

Aurora Summit 18
Friday, Nov. 2 – Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018
Two Harbors, Minnesota
Register: http://aurorasummit18.eventzilla.net/ (Closed)
#AuroraSummit18

Aurora Summit 19
Friday, Nov. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019
The Washburn Inn & Harbor View Event Center
Washburn, Wisconsin
Register: https://aurorasummit19.eventzilla.net/ (Closed)
#AuroraSummit19

Aurora Summit 20
Friday, Sept. 25 – Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020
Washburn, Wisconsin
Postponed

Aurora Summit 21
Friday, Nov. 5 – Sunday, Nov. 7, 2019
The Washburn Inn & Harbor View Event Center
Washburn, Wisconsin
Register: https://aurorasummit21.eventzilla.net/ (Closed)
#AuroraSummit21

Aurora Summit 22
November 22
Legendary Waters Resort & Event Center
Red Cliff, Wisconsin
Register: (Closed)
#AuroraSummit22

Aurora Summit 23
November 2023
Legendary Waters Resort & Event Center
Red Cliff, Wisconsin
Register: (Closed)
#AuroraSummit23

Aurora Summit 24
Friday, October 18 – Sunday, October 20, 2024
Legendary Waters Resort & Event Center
Redd Cliff, Wisconsin
Register: (Closed)
#AuroraSummit24

For more information about past events, visit the Archives.

Do you have more questions? Get answers with the FAQ.