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Welcome to the Aurora Summit!

The annual Aurora Summit brings Northern Lights enthusiasts together for a conference in the U.S. Take a look around!

Open to all who enjoy the Northern Lights, the event offers presentations about the wonders of the night sky, ranging from photography, astronomy and space weather, to art, history, culture and mythology. The weekend includes hand-ons demonstrations and opportunities to master night sky photography, as well as a live Aurora Chase on Saturday night.

Join the adventure! The 7th Annual Aurora Summit will be held in person October 18-20, 2024 on Lake Superior’s shore in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. It will include the popular pre-conference program of a Photography Bootcamp from 9am-5pm on the Friday, October 18. This unique conference attracts over 100 Aurora enthusiasts from across the United States, Canada, Europe and the world. Learn more.

We hope to see you at the Aurora Summit!

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Official Hashtag: #AuroraSummit24

Details Coming Soon! Aurora Summit 24

Plans for the 7th Annual Aurora Summit are coming together! We will announce the details for this year’s event when registration launches in June. That is when we will have the budget finalized, speakers announced, and the full event schedule.

When we launch, be one of the first to register to receive the Early Bird Rate! While we finalize the details this spring, you can learn more about the Aurora Summit in our About pages, our Archives, and above all, the FAQ. We welcome you to join us in the fall!

Featuring the 6th Annual Aurora Summit

At Aurora Summit 23, we will feature Keynote Speaker Alan Dyer, the creator of The Amazing Sky and the author of “The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide”, now in print for over 30 years! Aurora Summit 23 will take place at Legendary Waters Resort in Red Cliff, Wisconsin, near Bayfield and just south of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore!

We’re planning 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. The event includes:

• Featured Keynote Speaker: Alan Dyer, The Amazing Sky
• Educational Sessions
• Night Sky Photography Clinics
• Photography, Photo Editing and Time-Lapse Workshops
• Panel Discussions
• Travelogue
• Swag, Raffle Prizes & More

2023 Keynote Speaker Alan Dyer

Our celebration of the Northern Lights will feature Alan Dyer, the mind behind The Amazing Sky.

Alan is co-author of the popular guidebook for amateur astronomers, The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide, published by Firefly Books. He has also prepared a new ebook, How to Photograph the Solar Eclipses. Information about both books is at his website, AmazingSky.com. He is a member of the international The World at Night photography group. Alan lives in southern Alberta, Canada, at latitude 51° N. Asteroid 78434 is named for him.

Chasing Moon Shadows and Northern Lights

On a scale of 1 to 10 for celestial wonderment, two celestial sights rate a 10: an all-sky display of aurora, and a total eclipse of the Sun. We have a chance to witness both in the next year.

On April 8, 2024, the shadow of the Moon will sweep across North America along a narrow path. Stand in that path and you’ll see the Sun’s corona – the source of the solar wind that triggers auroras – with your unaided eyes. The Moon eclipsing the Sun is an experience not to be missed. From his chasing of 16 total solar eclipses to the far corners of the world, Alan will provide his advice on how to enjoy, and capture, the 2024 total eclipse of the Sun.

Alan has also chased the Northern Lights to northern Canada, and along the coast of Norway. While the Lights will come south to us more often as the Sun picks up in activity in 2024 and 2025, for a bucket-list experience of standing under an all-sky show of aurora, it is still best to go north to the Lights. Alan will provide recommendations on his favorite aurora sites, illustrated with images and movies taken on his travels, as well as from home in Alberta, Canada, where the Lights often appear. Along the way, he’ll explain that the usual explanations we read of what causes the Lights are wrong!

Our Presenters

In addition to Keynote Speaker Alan Dyer, we will feature many new and returning presenters!

We’re excited to share that Aurora Summit 23 will feature the following presenters:

• Chandresh Kedhambadi, A leader and Group Expert for the Alberta Aurora Chasers
• Jeanine Holowatuik, Photographer and Tour Guide at Northern Escape Photography
• Jeff Rennicke, Executive Director at Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, prior National Geographic Photographer, teacher, author and photographer at Jeff Rennicke Photography
• Angela Botner, Aurora Chaser and Photographer at Angela Botner Photography
• Dr. Vincent Ledvina, Professional Aurora Chaser and Aurora Scientist at Vincent Ledvina Photo
• Anna Martineau Merritt, Aurora Chaser, Aurora Chaser, student of Ojibwe culture and language, and member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Indians
• Jacob Richards, Admin of the Great Lakes Aurora Hunters, Aurora Chaser and photographer
• Marybeth Kiczenski, “The Extreme Aurora Chaser,” writer and photographer at Shelbydiamondstar Photography
• Christian Harris, Aurora Chaser, science guru and Founder of Space Weather Trackers
• Bob King, Author, Aurora Chaser and the mind behind AstroBob: Astronomy for Everyone
As well as co-founders:
• Mike Shaw of Mike Shaw Photography
• Dixie J. Burbank of Cosmic Chaos Adventures LLC
• Melissa F. Kaelin of Melissa F. Kaelin: Writer, Artist & Stargazer

The Aurora Summit 23 presentations include: 

• “With New Eyes: Discovering the Beauty of the Apostle Islands and its Dark Skies” with Jeff Rennicke 
• “Northern Lights in Motion: How to Capture Timelapse of the Night Sky” with Vincent Ledvina
• “Can You Hear the Northern Lights? We Look at the Evidence” with Bob King
• “Catching Aurora on Camera all Year: From Extreme Cold to Chasing the Elusive Summer Aurora” with Jeanine Holowatuik
• “DSO Photography: Learning to Process Deep Sky Objects (DSO) with a Camera and Telescope using Deep Sky Stacker & Photoshop” with Christian Harris
• “Native Culture: Introduction to Our Anishinaabe Culture and the Meaning of Place” with Anna Martineau Merritt
• Break the Code: A Light-Hearted Visual Guide to Viewing and Photographing the Aurora” with Angela Botner
• “Beyond the Milky Way! Capturing Other Portions of the Night Sky with Tips on Stacking and Blending” with Marybeth Kiczenski
• “Magnetic Flux Ropes: Recognizing their Signature in RTSW and Predicting Aurora Strength” with Christian Harris
• “Solar Flares, CMEs, and the Carrington Event, Oh My!” with Jacob Richards
• “Camera vs. the Human Eye for Aurora Viewing” with Chandresh Kedhambadi Chandresh KN
• “Best Practices and Strategies for Answering the Age-Old Question of ‘When Will the Aurora Be Out?’” with Vincent Ledvina
• “Arcs, Pillars, Dunes, SARs, Coronas, STEVE and More — A Celebration and Explanation of the Aurora’s Many Forms” featuring Bob King 
• “A Journey of Discovery with CK Nights” featuring Chandresh Kedhambadi Chandresh KN — Experiences chasing the Northern Lights in Western Canada
• “Night Photography Hands-On Clinic” with Mike Shaw — Focusing, Composing, Camera & Exposure Settings 
• “Hands-On Aurora Time-Lapse Image-Capture Clinic” with Mike Shaw — Rain, Clouds or Clear! 
• The Science, Art and Culture of Aurora “Below the 45th Parallel”: Author Talk Featuring Co-Founder Melissa F. Kaelin, Founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers
• Aurora Chasing Travelogue: Travelogue Featuring Co-Founder Dixie J. Burbank, founder of Cosmic Chaos Adventures 

Our event will feature two Aurora Chasing panels, over a dozen presenters, a keynote speaker, hands-on photography clinics, a travelogue, book signings, and an Aurora Summit slideshow featuring your photography! Registration is required to attend, and all meals included in registration. 

The Aurora Summit: Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science and Photography of the Aurora Borealis comes to Legendary Waters Resort, Nov. 3-5, 2023, in Red Cliff, Wisconsin, with a pre-conference Photography Bootcamp as an optional add-on for the full day on Friday.

Click the link to register for Aurora Summit 23.

Have a question? Check out our FAQ.

Don’t miss a thing! If you’re on Facebook, join our group for alumni, speakers, registered guests and anyone who’s interested in attending the annual Aurora Summit: Facebook.com/groups/AuroraSummit