The Aurora Summit brings Aurora enthusiasts in the mid-latitudes together for a weekend workshop in the U.S. Launched in 2017, the inaugural event attracted visitors from eight states and two countries, earning media coverage.

In the News

iHeartRadio, May 2023: “Melissa Kaelin on ‘Chasing the Aurora Borealis’” : Melissa was interviewed about her new book, the Michigan Aurora Chasers, and the Aurora Summit
The Weather Channel, November 2021: Watch: Charles Peek Covers Aurora Summit 21; “Powerful Solar Storm Drives the Aurora South”
Condé Nast Traveler, October 2021
Where to See the Northern Lights in the Contiguous United States
The Washington Post, February 2021
How to Photograph the Northern Lights
NASA Science: People, 2020
Christy Turner, Citizen Scientist, Technical Business Analyst, Professional Photographer, Keyera Corporation
Northern Wilds Magazine, November 2019
Dark Skies Continue to Spark a Creative Light & Chequamegon Bay
Star Tribune Magazine, December 2018
“Secrets to spotting the Northern Lights revealed at northern Minnesota gathering”
Duluth News Tribune, October 2017
“Aurora Summit Heading to Two Harbors”

Press Releases

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa F. Kaelin
Text or Phone: 614-397-4588
Email: aurorasummitmn@gmail.com

Catch the Northern Lights: Aurora Summit Brings the Thrill of Aurora Chasing to the Public

Annual event brings authors, scientists, photographers, and cultural leaders together to demystify the Northern Lights.

RED CLIFF, Wisc. — With three days of festivities devoted to the Northern Lights, the annual Aurora Summit will give hundreds of enthusiasts the tips, techniques, and technical skills to help them chase and catch the Aurora Borealis in November.

Now in its sixth year, Aurora Summit 23 offers educational sessions on over a dozen topics, two panel discussions with community leaders, a travelogue, book signings, and night sky photography clinics, including image capture, photo editing, and timelapse creation workshops. The event will also include Northern Lights vendors, author signings, and self-directed activities on Lake Superior’s shore such as light painting and astrophotography.

Back by popular demand, guests are invited to attend a pre-conference Photography Bootcamp on Friday, Nov. 3, as an optional add-on. Led by Host Mike Shaw Photography, the program will teach new and emerging photographers everything they need to know to get their camera dialed in for a weekend of night photography.

Aurora Summit 23 features Keynote Speaker Alan Dyer, the creator of Amazing Sky and 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.” He will speak during the Saturday night banquet, which also offers stories of the Northern Lights and a photography slideshow, followed by a group aurora chase.

A panel discussion will kick off the weekend-long event on Friday night, followed by educational sessions on Saturday. The presentations will cover a broad range of topics, as the speakers explain the art, culture, history, science and photography of the Aurora Borealis throughout the event.

The full line-up of speakers includes:

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, 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, Admin of the Michigan Aurora Chasers
Christian Harris, Aurora Chaser, science guru and Founder of Space Weather Trackers
Bob King, Author of “Night Sky with the Naked Eye,” Aurora Chaser and the mind behind AstroBob: Astronomy for Everyone

As well as co-founders:

Host Dr. Mike Shaw, astrophotographer, speaker and author of “Composite Nightscapes and Time-lapses,” and “The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography – Understanding, Planning, Creating and Processing Nightscape Images”
Dixie J. Burbank, Photographer and Tour Guide at Cosmic Chaos Adventures, LLC
Melissa F. Kaelin, Speaker, Author of “Below the 45^th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing Aurora in the Great Lakes Region” and Founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers

Guests are also welcome to attend the Aurora Summit with Saturday night admission to the Keynote Speech: “Chasing Moon Shadows and Northern Lights” with Alan Dyer. 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, Dyer will provide his advice on how to enjoy, and capture, the 2024 total eclipse of the Sun.

He 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. Dyer 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.

Already representing much of North America, the registered guests for Aurora Summit 23 hail from fifteen U.S. states and several Canadian provinces, including Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, Colorado, Washington, New Jersey, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Alaska, as well as the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Open to the public, the 6^th Annual Aurora Summit will take place Nov. 3-5, 2022, at Legendary Waters Resort in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. All are welcome. Hotel rooms are still available in nearby Bayfield and Washburn, Wisconsin. Guests must register to attend, and registration is open until October 1, 2023. All meals are included in registration, as well as swag and raffle prizes.

With a shared passion for viewing and photographing the Aurora Borealis, the hope is that everyone will catch this rare natural phenomenon during the event. There are never any guarantees. Even if the Northern Lights do not appear at the Aurora Summit, guests will leave knowing how to catch them on their own.

Established in 2017, the Aurora Summit was co-founded by Melissa F. Kaelin, author and founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers; Dixie J. Burbank, photographer and owner of Cosmic Chaos Adventures, LLC; and Dr. Mike Shaw, professor and author of “The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography.”

For more information or to register, visit TheAuroraSummit.com.

Photo Credit: Photo by Dixie J. Burbank/Cosmic Chaos Adventures

JULY 7, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa F. Kaelin
Text or Phone: 614-397-4588
Email: aurorasummitmn@gmail.com

Chasing the Aurora: Hundreds of Thrill-Seekers to Seek the Northern Lights at Aurora Summit 22

Annual event brings scientists, photographers, authors, and community leaders together to share the Aurora’s secrets.

RED CLIFF, Wisc. — In a three-day event designed for space weather enthusiasts and absolute beginners, the Aurora Summit will uncover the mysteries of the Northern Lights in presentations by experts from the nocturnal chase and the scientific field.

Now in its fifth year, the weekend offers educational sessions on over a dozen topics, a panel discussion, a travelogue, night sky photography clinics, photography and photo editing workshops, expert roundtables for camera questions, a gear swap meet, and a group aurora chase. There will also be Northern Lights vendors, author signings, and activities on your own such as light painting and astrophotography.

New in 2022, guests are invited to attend a pre-conference Photography Bootcamp on Friday, Nov. 4, as an optional add-on. Led by Host Mike Shaw Photography, the program will teach new and emerging photographers everything they need to know to be prepared for a weekend of night photography.

Aurora Summit 22 features Keynote Speaker Dr. Tamitha Skov, a credentialed space weather physicist who is known as Space Weather Woman from her popular social media and video platform. She will speak during the Saturday night banquet, which also offers stories of the Northern Lights and a photography slideshow, followed by a group aurora chase.

Skov has been helping the public understand the effects of aurora and space weather on our daily lives since 2013. She works primarily in the fields of solar and space physics research and in the testing of spacecraft materials in realistic space radiation environments. She has been featured on several television shows including The Weather Channel and The History Channel. She has also been featured on CBS News, and in Popular Science Magazine and MIT Technology Review.

Thanks to social media like Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, TWiT TV, Instagram and Periscope, she has helped nurture a vibrant community of 98,000 people and growing. These people range from astronauts and satellite operators, to civil and military auxiliary radio operators, GPS specialists, scientists, and of course, aurora chasers and photographers. As this community has grown, the people in it have become her extended family. She strives to keep everyone informed and connected to each other and to the spectacular Northern Lights events visible at night.

A panel discussion will kick off the event on Friday night, followed by educational sessions on Saturday. The presentations will cover more than a dozen topics, as the speakers explain the art, culture, science and photography of the Aurora Borealis through the event.

The full line-up of speakers includes:

Bob King, presenting “What Is the Aurora, How Does it Happen and When Should I Look?” as well as “Upcoming Celestial Events You Don’t Want to Miss”
Jeanine Holowatuik, presenting “The Fundamentals of Aurora Photography”
Vincent Ledvina, presenting “The Sun-Earth Connection: The Science and Processes behind the Northern Lights”
John O’Neal, presenting “The Parker Solar Probe, the Solar Orbiter and Space Weather Reporting”
Melonie Elvebak, presenting “How to Use a Star Tracker and What You Can Do”
Justin Anderson, presenting “Color in Lights: Chasing the Aurora Colorblind”
Anna Martineau Merritt, presenting “Native Culture: Introduction to Our Anishinaabe Culture and the Meaning of Place”
Dave Falkner, presenting “Voyager and the Heliosphere”
Marybeth Kiczenski, presenting “Taking Your Images Further: Using blending and tracking to create beautiful high-definition photos”
Steve Luther, presenting “From Northern Lights Newbie to Aurora Addict: My Journey and Roadmap to Successfully Capturing the Beautiful Borealis”
Mike Shaw, “Basic Night Photography”

Already representing much of North America, the presenters hail from eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, including California, Oregon, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and North Carolina, as well as the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The native Anishinaabe are also represented among the speakers.

Open to the public, the 5^th Annual Aurora Summit will take place Nov. 4-6, 2022, at Legendary Waters Resort in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. All are welcome. Vaccinations are required, and guests must register to attend. Gifts, swag, raffle prizes, and all meals are included in registration.

Established in 2017, the Aurora Summit was co-founded by Melissa F. Kaelin, journalist and founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers; Dixie J. Burbank, photographer and owner of Cosmic Chaos Adventures, LLC; and Dr. Mike Shaw, professor and author of “The Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography.”

For more information or to register, visit TheAuroraSummit.com.

Photo Credit: Photo by Mike Shaw/Mike Shaw Photography.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Adventurers, Authors, Space Weather Enthusiasts and Photographers Chase the Northern Lights at Annual Aurora Summit

Aurora chasers converge from at least eleven U.S. states to capture Northern Lights in their lens

WASHBURN, Wisc. – Aurora chasers from states as far as Arkansas, Oregon and California converged on Lake Superior’s shore in Washburn, Wisc., during the Fourth Annual Aurora Summit from Friday, Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. The annual conference celebrates the art, culture, science and photography of the Northern Lights.

Aurora Summit 21 featured Keynote Speaker Marybeth Kiczenski, an adventure photographer who served as an artist in residence for the Michigan State Parks system and Alaska. With a background in automotive trade shows, she also creates content for Sky and Telescope Magazine and the Milky Way Chasers.

“It can be difficult to catch the Northern Lights in the mid-latitudes, especially in southern parts of the U.S., but this rare natural phenomenon can be seen much farther south than most people realize. The Aurora Summit gives us a way to celebrate the Aurora together, while also capturing the rare beauty of the night,” said Co-Founder Melissa F. Kaelin.

On Friday night, at least four photographers captured a brief appearance of the Northern Lights in Wisconsin using their cameras, even though the display was not strong enough to be visible to the unaided eye. They shared their photos and their excitement at the successful Aurora Chase on social media using the hashtag #AuroraSummit21.

As part of the weekend program, the Aurora Summit also offered a panel discussion on the Northern Lights, hands-on night photography clinics, a travelogue, a light painting party, a travel companion meet-up, awards and prizes, and special features. The event included many educational sessions, with more than 18 presentations slated on topics related to the Aurora Borealis, Night Sky Photography and Light Painting.

“The Aurora Summit is the best place to meet ‘like -minded’ people and learn how to predict auroral activity,” said Co-Founder Dixie J. Burbank.

Led by space weather enthusiasts, published authors and professional photographers, the presentations ranged from the history, culture and science of the night sky, to Aurora forecasting and photography. The topics included:

Nights of Red and Green — An In-depth Look at What Causes the Aurora (B), with Bob King
From Galaxies to Starry Nights I: Acquiring Images with Star Trackers (A), with Marybeth Kiczenski
A Detailed Update on Solar Cycle 25: Where We’re At, Where We Might Go (A), with Christian Harris
Protecting Our Night Skies: Light Pollution and Prevention (B), with Jeremy Evans
Aurora Forecasting with Four Admins (I), with Jess Kowalke, Christian Harris, Amber Nichols, Melissa F. Kaelin
Camera Settings at Night (B), with Heidi Pinkerton
Astrotourism: Traveling to See the Light (B), with Dixie Burbank
Behind the Scenes with the Upper Midwest Aurora Chasers (I), with Jess Kowalke
Deepscapes: What to Shoot with a Portable Star Tracker and How to Set One Up (A), with Mike Shaw
Australis to Borealis: Aurora Legend & Myth around the World (B), with Melissa Kaelin
Basic Equipment for You and Your Camera (B), with Dixie Burbank
Astronomy & Astrophotography in our National Parks and Public Lands of the West (I), with Jeremy Evans
From Galaxies to Starry Nights II: Putting Together What You Captured on Camera (A), with Marybeth Kiczenski
Nocturnal Sightings: Are UFOs for Real? (B), with Bob King
Illuminating the Dark: From Astrophotography to Light Painting (I), with Jamie Seidel
Composition: Advanced Techniques to Take Your Night Sky Images to the Next Level (A), with Heidi Pinkerton
A Fool Proof Formula: How to Catch Your First Northern Lights Display (B), with Melissa Kaelin

Many conference guests also participated in and viewed an Aurora Slideshow showcasing photos from the Great Lakes Region and around the world. After hours, guests brought their gear out for a night photography shoot, the light painting party and night demonstrations with others from Aurora Summit 21.

In its inaugural year, the Aurora Summit attracted night sky enthusiasts from eight states and two countries, making it the leading conference on the Northern Lights in the U.S. In 2021, the conference set a record for the most U.S. states represented at any event in its history. Nearly 100 people attended the fourth annual Aurora Summit from at least eleven states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Colorado, California, and Alaska.

“Our passion for this mysterious phenomenon brings out an amazing crowd,” said Kaelin. “This group knows what it means to enjoy adventure, be persistent and stand in awe of natural wonders.”

Designed for newcomers and experienced Aurora enthusiasts alike, the Aurora Summit combines the enjoyment of a rare natural phenomenon with photography, art, history, culture, urban legend and adventure. Guests found a welcoming group of people at all experience levels, who were eager to tell their stories and share advice for future Aurora sightings. The event came to a close with a grand finale, where guests won photography prints, raffle awards and the grand prize.

Hosted by Mike Shaw Photography, the Aurora Summit was held at the Harbor View Event Center in Washburn, Wisc. The location differs from year to year, with the goal of bringing people under the Auroral Oval in the Northern U.S. The annual event is open to the public, but guests must register to attend. Registration launches each year in June.

For more information or to register, visit TheAuroraSummit.com.

Photo Credit: Photo by Mike Shaw/Mike Shaw Photography.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

Scientists, Authors, Photographers and Storm Chasers Converge at Annual Aurora Summit to Celebrate the Northern Lights

Aurora Summit 19 brings aurora chasers to Wisconsin for international conference

WASHBURN, WISC. – Aurora chasers from at least nine states and two countries will gather on Lake Superior’s shore in Washburn, Wisc., coming together for the Third Annual Aurora Summit from Friday, Nov. 1 to Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019. The international conference celebrates the art, culture, science and photography of the Northern Lights.

Aurora Summit 19 will feature Keynote Speaker Chris Ratzlaff, citizen science leader and storm chaser who serves as an admin for the Alberta Aurora Chasers, an online group of more than 20,000 members. Receiving special recognition from NASA for his work helping to discover a new natural phenomenon, Ratzlaff was featured in the documentary film, “Chasing Steve,” and a documentary series called “The Nature of Things: The Wonder of the Northern Lights.”

Ratzlaff has helped bring the observations of the Alberta Aurora Chasers to the attention of the scientific community, and he has represented aurora chasers in some of the scientific research that followed the discovery of a rare sub auroral arc, which appears in the night sky as a narrow, purple band of light. Known as STEVE, the rare phenomenon is also called a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.

“Catching a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis in the low latitudes can be very challenging. This annual event gives us a chance to not only celebrate the night sky, but to also learn how to track and capture its rare beauty,” said Co-Founder Melissa F. Kaelin.

On top of the keynote speech, the Aurora Summit will also offer a panel discussion on the Northern Lights, hands-on night sky demonstrations, a travelogue, a light painting party, a travel companion meet-up, awards and prizes, and special features. The event offers many educational sessions, with more than 18 presentations slated on topics related to the Aurora Borealis, photography and the night sky.

“The Aurora Summit is the best place to meet ‘like -minded’ people and learn how to predict auroral activity,” said Co-Founder Dixie J. Burbank. “The photography sessions then enable you to capture the natural beauty of the night sky.”

Led by scientists, published authors and professional photographers, the presentations range from the history, culture and science of the night sky, to Aurora forecasting and photography. The topics include:

Aurora Forecasting for Beginners, with Bob King
Essentials for Aurora Photography, with Christy Turner
Shooting the Milky Way, with Mark Ellis
Discovering STEVE, with Chris Ratzlaff
Astrophotography with Equatorial Trackers, with Paul Nelson
Deep Freeze Photography: Tips for Subzero Shooting, with Amber Nichols
Know Your Sky, Know What to Shoot, with Bob King
Night Sky Composites and Blends: A How-to Guide, with Mike Shaw
Smartphone Astrophotography, with Christian Harris
Mysteries of Solar Wind Data Revealed, with Christian Harris
Intro to Time Lapse Capture & Editing, with Mark Ellis
Urban Legends of Space: Astro Science v. Pseudoscience, with Bob King
Secrets of the Goddess of the Dawn: Aurora Myth & Legend, with Melissa F. Kaelin
Deep Sky Photography, with Matthew E. Moses
The Light Painting Toolbox, with Roger D. Feldhans
NASA’s Spectra Lens and the Sub Auroral Arc, with Christy Turner
Post Processing Night Sky Photos, with Matthew Moses
Phenomenal Light Painting, with Jamie Rabold
Aurora Chasers Travelogue, with Dixie J. Burbank

Conference guests will also have the chance to participate in and view an Aurora Slideshow showcasing photos from the Great Lakes Region and around the world. After hours, guests will be invited to join a night photography shoot, light painting party and hands-on photography demonstrations with others from Aurora Summit 19.

In its inaugural year, the Aurora Summit attracted night sky enthusiasts from eight states and two countries, making it the leading conference on the Northern Lights in the U.S. In 2019, more than 100 people will gather for the conference. The states and regions represented at the third annual Aurora Summit will include Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Hampshire and Alberta, Canada.

“Our passion for the night sky brings out an incredible crowd,” said Kaelin. “This group knows what it means to enjoy adventure, be persistent and stand in awe of natural phenomena.”

Designed for newcomers and experienced Aurora enthusiasts alike, the Aurora Summit combines the enjoyment of this rare natural phenomenon with photography, art, history, culture, urban legend and adventure. Guests will find a welcoming group of people at all experience levels, who are eager to tell their stories and share advice for future Aurora sightings. The event will come to a close with a grand finale, where guests may share photos, win awards and claim raffle prizes.

Hosted by Mike Shaw Photography, the Aurora Summit will be held at the Harbor View Event Center in Washburn, Wisc. Admission is $175 for the full conference, which includes all meals, or $69 for the Banquet Only, which includes the keynote speech and Saturday evening activities.

The event is open to the public, but guests must register to attend. Please register by Oct. 10, 2019.

For more information or to register, visit TheAuroraSummit.com.

Photo Credit: Photo by Mike Shaw/Mike Shaw Photography.

JUNE 26, 2019

Media Alert: International Aurora Summit Brings Star Gazers to Washburn Marina

WASHBURN, WISC. – The Washburn Marina will welcome sky watchers and star gazers from many U.S. states and several countries, during a three-day conference celebrating the Northern Lights. An international event, the 3^rd Annual Aurora Summit will be held Friday, Nov. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, at the Harbor View Event Center in Washburn, Wisc.

“Aurora Summit 19: Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science, and Photography of the Aurora Borealis!” brings scientists, authors, astrophotographers and space weather enthusiasts together with beginning sky watchers, to study the rare natural phenomenon of the Aurora. The conference will include a keynote speaker, travelogue, panel discussion, and educational sessions on the Northern Lights, photography and the night sky thrills.

During the day, conference guests will have the opportunity to attend educational sessions with topics ranging from the prediction and photography of the Aurora Borealis, to rare night sky sightings and the mythology of the Northern Lights. Hands-on demonstrations will also take place during the evening, including a Light Painting Party that will invite guests to work together to create unique images in the dark.

Aurora Summit 19 is open to the public, but guests must pre-register. Northern Lights admirers of any experience level are encouraged to attend.

Full conference and registration details will be announced by June 30. The Aurora Summit is organized by Dixie J. Burbank, Melissa F. Kaelin and Mike Shaw, Ph.D., and the conference is hosted by Mike Shaw Photography.

For more information, visit TheAuroraSummit.com.

AUGUST 7, 2018

Historians, Scientists, Photographers and Sky Watchers Converge at Aurora Summit to Celebrate the Northern Lights

Aurora Summit 18 brings national conference to Minnesota for second year

TWO HARBORS, MINN. – The Second Annual Aurora Summit returns to Minnesota, coming to Lake Superior’s shore from Friday, Nov. 2 to Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. The national conference, which is open to the public, celebrates the art, culture, science and photography of the Northern Lights.

Aurora Summit 18 will feature Keynote Speaker Mary Stewart Adams, a star lore historian who founded the Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City, Mich., and hosts “The Storyteller’s Night Sky” on Interlochen Public Radio.

Adams is a self-described star lore historian, who led the successful initiative to establish Michigan’s only International Dark Sky Park in 2011. For nine years, she also led the park to award-winning recognition for innovative programming and dark sky advocacy, including the top Pure Michigan “Pure Award” for stewardship of the state’s natural resources, and the first-ever International Dark Sky Place of the Year Award from the International Dark Sky Association, in 2017. Her radio show, “The Storyteller’s Night Sky,” airs each week on Interlochen Public Radio.

On top of the keynote speech, the Aurora Summit will present a talk by Bob Kelley, who recently retired from a 40-year career at the Scobee Education Center Planetarium. He worked as both as planetarium director and “Mission Flight Director” in the new Challenger Learning Center in San Antonia, Texas. Kelley has always had a passion for celestial photography, taking several trips to Alaska to image the Northern Lights or to the deserts of west Texas to enjoy the darkest skies on Earth and views of the Milky Way.

The Aurora Summit will also offer a panel discussion on the Northern Lights, a travel companion meet-up, a travelogue, awards and prizes, and special features. The event offers many educational sessions, with more than 12 presentations slated on topics related to the Aurora Borealis, photography and the night sky.

Led by published authors, scientists and professional photographers, the presentations range from the history, culture and science of the night sky, to Aurora forecasting and photography. The topics include:

Basics for Night Sky Photography, with Photographer Terry Mann
From Apps to Kp: Aurora Forecasting for Beginners, with Author Bob King
10 Keys to Gain a Social Media Following, with Destination Duluth’s Jerry Thoreson
Essential Software and Apps for Aurora Chasers and Photographers, with Photographer Michael Jordan
Aurora Culture and Mythology, with Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium Program Director Jim Rock
The Juno Mission and Jupiter’s Aurora, with NASA Solar System Ambassador Dave Falkner
Aurora Borealis: A Photographer’s Guide, with Photographer Michael Jordan
Meet STEVE: The Aurora Getting All the Attention, with Author Bob King
Aurora from Satellites Above and Photographers Below, with Director of Education and Public Outreach at NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies Margaret Mooney
Deep-Sky with Your D-SLR: Getting the Right Camera Gear, with Photographer Joe Polecheck
No Aurora Yet? Camera Techniques to Capture Elusive Light, with Photographer Terry Mann
Establishing an International Dark Sky Park, with Star Lore Historian Mary Stewart Adams

Conference guests will also have the chance to participate in and view an Aurora Slideshow showcasing photos from the Great Lakes Region. After hours, guests will be invited to join a night photography shoot with others from Aurora Summit 18.

In its inaugural year, the Aurora Summit attracted night sky enthusiasts from eight states and two countries, making it the leading conference on the Northern Lights in the U.S. The states and regions represented in 2017 included Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota and Georgia, as well as Manitoba, Canada.

Designed for newcomers and experienced Aurora enthusiasts alike, the Aurora Summit combines the enjoyment of this rare natural phenomenon with photography, art, history, culture and adventure. Guests will find a welcoming group of people at all experience levels, who are eager to tell their stories and share advice for future Aurora sightings. The event will come to a close with a grand finale, where guests may share photos, win awards and claim raffle prizes.

Hosted by Mike Shaw Photography, the Aurora Summit will be held at Superior Shores Resort & Conference Center in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Admission is $179 for the full conference, which includes three meals, or $69 for the Banquet Only, which includes the keynote speech.

The event is open to the public, but guests must register to attend. Please register by Monday, Oct. 1, 2018.

For more information or to register, visit TheAuroraSummit.com.

Photo Credit: Photo by Mike Shaw/Mike Shaw Photography.