The Aurora Summit offers a weekend packed with activities related to the Northern Lights, Astrophotography and the Night Sky.
Meet our presenters and speakers for the next Aurora Summit on the new Speakers page!
Welcome to Aurora Summit 26
The annual Aurora Summit is a weekend-long event that begins with events and dinner on Friday evening, followed by a full day of sessions on Saturday, and programming Sunday morning through about noon. Our Grand Prize will be given out no later than 12:30 pm Sunday — guests must be present to win. Those interested in photography workshops may opt in to attend a full day of hands-on photography clinics on the prior Friday during the pre-conference program.
Find the Schedule Below:
Aurora Summit 26: Conference Schedule
The conference schedule for Aurora Summit 26 is taking shape below. Any updates to the schedule will be posted here.
Activities and times may be subject to change.
AURORA SUMMIT 26
Friday, Nov. 6 — Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
BONFIRE!
Houghton, Michigan, USA
PRE-CONFERENCE PROGRAM
AS26 Photography Bootcamp
9:00 am-4:30 pm, Friday, November 7
Michigan Tech Alumni Center (MTAC) Ford Conference, Room 101, 1404 E. Sharon Avenue, Houghton, Michigan 49931
Breakfast on your own
9:00 am – Noon: Morning Sessions
Break for lunch (included)
1:30 – 4:30 pm: Afternoon Sessions, including Small Group Support 3:45-4:30 pm
5pm: Official conference program begins, Dinner at 7pm (included)
To view the full pre-conference program schedule, visit: TheAuroraSummit.com/Bootcamp
AURORA SUMMIT 26: OFFICIAL PROGRAM
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
4-7 pm: Registration opens, BONFIRE!
4 pm: Cash Bar Opens
4:15 pm: Aurora Chasers Atlas! Find Travel Companions
4:30 pm: Meet and Greet; Ice-Breaker: The Aurora Shuffle!
(This informal programming will take place as guests arrive)
Ice-Breaker: The Aurora Shuffle!
Play the Aurora Shuffle! 1) Visit the welcome table to draw three cards about Aurora; 2) Stroll through the crowd to find three new cards that describe your experience in Aurora Chasing; 3) Swap out your cards with other Aurora Chasers, until you have one card of each color; 4) Be one of the first to achieve the goal, and return to the welcome table to win a small prize!
7 pm: Welcome, Dinner (Included)
8 pm: Aurora Chasing Panel Discussion
Get into the spirit for an adventurous weekend with a discussion of all things Aurora Chasing! This is not your average panel discussion. We’ll talk cameras, forecasting, and things that go bump in the night, while we laugh, plan and imagine the possibilities together!
Panelists:
• Coming soon!
Moderated by Melissa Kaelin
9:30 pm: Aurora Photography Hands-On Clinic, with Marc Rassel & Others (Tentative)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Breakfast at host hotel
Breakout Sessions
9-9:45 am: Session I
• “iPhone Night Photography; Equipment, Tips and Tricks,” with Patrick Grubba
• “Aurora Apps: Data at Your Fingertips,” with Tanya Melnik
10-10:45 am: Session II
• “Further South Than You Think: Mid-latitude Aurora Forecasting and Chasing in Substorms,” with Jeremy Cruz
• “Aurora Photography – Capturing the Auroras with Manual Camera Settings,” with Paul Schneider
11-11:45 am: Session III
• “Foregrounds, the Foreplay of Aurora Photography: How to Find Better Places to See and Photograph Aurora,” with Richard Montano
• “Capturing Real-Time Video and Timelapse of the Northern Lights,” with Vincent Ledvina
Noon -1:30 pm: Lunch (Included)
1:30 pm: Session IV: Full Group Session
“Clouds! Using Aviation Forecasts to Predict Clear Skies,” with Pilot Andy Berry
2:30 pm: Session V: Full Group Session
“Beyond the Forecast: Making the Most of an Aurora Chase,” with Author Thomas Oliver
3:30 pm: Session VI: Full Group Session
“Auroral Citizen Science – A fulfilling add-on for aurora photographers,” with Donna Lach, co-author of the Aurora Field Guide from the ARCTICS Team
4:30 pm: Panel Discussion
“EPIC FAILS: Humorous & Humbling Stories from the Chase” — Have you ever failed to catch the Northern Lights? Have you done so in an epic failure kind of way, with humorous anecdotes to tell the tale? Join us as we hear some of the most incredible failures in the community, featuring a great line-up of panelists! Panelists to be announced!
Panelists:
• Coming Soon!
Moderated by Dixie Burbank
5:30 pm: Group Photo, immediately following panel discussion
6:00 pm: Cash Bar Opens
6:30 pm: Dinner (included) and Aurora Summit Slideshow
7:30 pm: Keynote Speaker Joe Buffalo Child, Owner of North Star Adventures
9:30 pm: Hands-On Photography Clinic, with Marc Rassel and Others (TENTATIVE)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20
Breakfast at hotel
9 am: “Cultural Beliefs Concerning Aurora Borealis,” with Lifelong Aurora Chaser Alan Atwood
10 am: Special Programming & Book Signings
11 am: Aurora Jeopardy! Trivia
11:55 am: Raffle & Prizes, including Grand Prize of an Alaska Northern Lights Trip from Cosmic Chaos Adventures, conditions apply, must be present to win
12:15pm: Farewell
12:30pm: Lunch on your own
For locations and more information on dark sky viewing, visit our Guide page.
Check out our Events page to learn about the presenters!
Educational Sessions
List coming soon!
Do you have more questions? Get answers with the FAQ
More Aurora Summit News
To find out what topics will be offered at the upcoming conference, check back for updates on this page or get conference news on Facebook or Twitter.
To get a sense of what may be offered, you can also view the complete history of the conference program in the Archives.
