Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner's Guide to Chasing Aurora in the Mid-latitudes

By Melissa F. Kaelin

Chase the Aurora in your own backyard! Find out what it takes to view this rare natural phenomenon beyond the 45th Parallel, whether you are chasing in the U.S. or mid-latitudes across the world. This guide caters to beginners with real advice for catching the Aurora beyond the 45th Parallel, which is a magical latitude where northern features cover the landscape in the western hemisphere. The advice is brought to you by the founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers, a group of about 100,000 Aurora Chasers and climbing which was established in January 2021. Melissa F. Kaelin is a talented writer, speaker and community leader who has helped hundreds of people see the Northern Lights for the first time. The cover features outstanding Aurora photography captured in the mid-latitudes by Cover Artist Shannon Kivi and Michele Aucello.

The 2nd Edition in the 45th Parallel Series opens the art of Aurora Chasing to a broader audience, sharing tips, techniques and insight that will help chasers catch their first Aurora — or more Aurora — anywhere in the world. With seven brand new chapters, expanded terms and techniques, and three distinct tools for beginners, "Beyond the 45th Parallel" will show anyone the ropes of Aurora Chasing. The book includes a Digital Resource Guide, with updated links to space weather resources and other important tools for catching the Aurora when it's active. For the first time, Melissa also shares a personal account of chasing the Northern Lights with a group from the Michigan Aurora Chasers, with pointers on how to be successful. She also shines light on a few joys from her personal life, with a sneak preview of her fiction inspired by Aurora mythology.

The book that led to a year of invitations to give inspiring public speeches is now available in an expanded edition, and the Aurora Chaser and science communications writer behind the scenes is ready to help anyone on the chase. Good luck on the Aurora Chasing trail!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350957341

Melissa F. Kaelin

Melissa F. Kaelin is the founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers and the co-founder of the Aurora Summit: Celebrating the Art, Culture, Science and Photography of the Aurora. She is a writer, speaker and stargazer who finds inspiration in the Northern Lights. A published journalist and science communications writer, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She is native to rural Ohio, and she spent her formative years with nonfiction and creative writing in Minnesota, where she lived for 11 years. With a love for the Great Lakes, she moved to Michigan in 2018. In 2021, Melissa founded the Michigan Aurora Chasers, a group devoted to catching the Northern Lights that has grown to approximately 100,000 members and climbing. She has helped hundreds of people catch the Aurora for the first time, inspiring many others along the way. She is also the author of many books, short stories and poetry collections, and her articles and stories have been published in many newspapers, magazines and videos. For more information, visit KaelinArt.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

MAKING THE DREAM A REALITY

In a way, we are all chasing the light. Whether this light emanates from another galaxy, the solar eclipse, or the elusive Aurora, our pursuits in astronomy, storm chasing and photography let us imagine distant worlds, distant stars, and the incredible colors they produce. The visions set the imagination on fire.

The Northern Lights are some of the most sought-after displays found in our night sky. Latin for northern dawn, the Aurora Borealis is a rare and beautiful natural phenomenon that filters into our atmosphere through the North Pole. The Arctic Circle and the northern regions of the world are famous for vibrant, dancing Aurora that light up the night. Even more rare is the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, which extend outward from the South Pole.

When the conditions align, the auroral oval expands much deeper into our night sky. Many people grow up never knowing that Aurora reaches the United States, often lighting up the night skies in the northernmost tier of the lower 48. States such as Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota have some of the best vantage points for chasing the Aurora. Even in Europe and Asia, the Aurora are considered to be a feature of Scandinavia and the Arctic Circle. During strong geomagnetic storms, though, this phenomenon can be seen with the unaided eye in the United States as far south as New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Oregon. In 2023, it stretched all the way down to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In Europe, too, a powerful Aurora danced above Stonehenge and the castles of England, and as far south as Andalusia in Spain. Australia and New Zealand have enjoyed beautiful views emanating from the South Pole, as well!

So, what does it take to see the Aurora beyond the 45th Parallel? As founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers — a state located directly in the mid-latitudes — I usually start by recommending clear, unpolluted skies and an open view facing north. The truth is, it takes a lot more than that. You could be one of the fortunate who see their first Aurora on accident. You could be one of the lucky ones who happened to stand in the right place at the right time and view their first Aurora serendipitously. Most people, though, have to work hard to catch their first display.

In my case, I read about the Northern Lights and admired its beauty in photographs long before I was able to witness a display with my own eyes. It took years of study, practice, and braving the eccentricities of the night before I caught my first Aurora over 10 years ago. Like any good Aurora Chaser, I remember exactly when and where it happened. At the time, I was living just south of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. I just barely escaped the light pollution of the Twin Cities and pulled over near a state park in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. On the night of October 1-2, 2013, I caught a brilliant Aurora that danced overhead in the night sky — after five failed attempts.

Now, I’ve caught the Aurora in four states including Alaska. I’ve monitored trends in the satellite data used to predict these occurrences over time, and I’ve nearly mastered a technique for catching the most colorful and dynamic Aurora displays in lower latitudes. I’ve written a blog sharing advice for beginners, and I’ve been selected to lead a tour of the Northern Lights in Iceland for a major research university.

The experiences and encounters I’ve had — with the Aurora, the people who chase, and our natural world — have moved me to my core. Observing the dance with my own eyes, especially during the strongest geomagnetic storms, has been absolutely mind-blowing. It is such a unique experience. Not only do some displays present vibrant colors, but they also feature incredible movement, sometimes flickering or pulsing as the Aurora sways across the sky. Some studies suggest the Aurora even makes a sound.

As we experience the maximum of the 11-year solar cycle, the appearances of Aurora could become more frequent and more powerful. The year following Solar Maximum could be even more interesting. Nature’s light show develops from solar plasma and solar activity, including active regions, coronal holes, and filament eruptions. As our sun becomes more active, dancing skies become more likely, too. Of course, many factors have to align to make a sighting possible. To even begin to have a chance of Aurora, this solar activity must be directed toward our planet. We need good conditions for astronomy or astrophotography, including clear skies, agreeable moon phases, and an absence of wildcards like wildfire smoke. But we also need the variables in the composition of the solar wind to align, so that high-speed, high-density solar wind can filter into the Earth’s magnetic field, and charged particles can collide with air molecules to emit colorful light. Then it’s often a toss-up, as we wait to see which hemisphere of the world gets to enjoy the spectacular views of Aurora-painted night skies.

The trouble with chasing Aurora is so many people out there rely on apps or basic websites for alerts. The simpler, the better. Right? Unfortunately, no. When it comes to the Aurora, any app or website that makes the chase seem easy is likely oversimplifying. Download almost any Aurora forecast app, and it will give you a forecast using the K-index, often denoted as Kp. The K-index measures Aurora strength on a scale of 0 to 9. The higher the Kp, the better your chances of seeing Aurora beyond the polar regions. The issue with this approach is Kp actually represents a planetary p average of Aurora strength over the past three hours, as measured at various magnetometers around the world. This does not necessarily indicate future activity. Solar wind is always present outside of Earth’s atmosphere to some degree, and it’s constantly changing.

If you want confidence in knowing when there’s a real likelihood of Aurora, you have to monitor the data in real time. Predicting this type of space weather is an emerging science, and new advances are constantly being made in the field. Aurora is never guaranteed, but there is always a chance.

Aurora Chasers face many obstacles, not to mention a lot of uncertainty. Here are a few tips to help anyone get started. First, use a reliable source for Aurora forecasting, one linked directly to scientific data or one where live sightings can be reported. Second, devote at least three hours to your Aurora chase. The most successful Aurora Chasers stay out all night long, and Northern Lights are known for appearing just before dawn, when most people have given up. Third, expect the unexpected. Even if you stand in darkness and see nothing, point a camera north and take a test shot, in case the colors or formations present themselves on camera first. Look in every direction when activity heats up, to catch more stunners like SARs (Stable Aurora Red arcs) or STEVE (the Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.) Finally, plan at least one other exciting highlight on your journey. That way if you get aced, you won’t have to go home empty-handed.

In these modern times, I like to remind people that we are setting out to catch one of the galaxy’s greatest curiosities. Aurora is truly rare. Many people can only dream of seeing it once in their lifetime. When I help someone see the Aurora for the first time, I get the honor of literally making a dream come true. The Aurora is elusive and unpredictable, and it is, in fact, space weather. How amazing is it that we can catch a glimpse here on Earth?

— Melissa F. Kaelin

Writer, Speaker & Aurora Chaser

Founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers

Thanks to Amateur Astronomers Magazine for featuring my advice in their 30th Anniversary Edition!

CHAPTER 2

EMBARKING ON THE CHASE: COMMONLY USED TERMS

When people first start chasing the Northern Lights, they are often surprised to learn several things.

First, catching the Aurora is much harder than it looks. Second, the Aurora you see may be much more subtle than what you’ve seen in popular media. Third, if you truly want to be successful, there is a huge learning curve — including a daunting number of terms and definitions that describe the natural phenomenon we know as the Northern Lights.

To seasoned Aurora Chasers, the adventure becomes its own art form. There are many methods of Aurora forecasting, and none of them are necessarily wrong if they help you catch the Aurora. There are also many types of Aurora, many approaches to Aurora photography, and many terms you need to know to be successful.

With absolute beginners in mind, here are a few fun ones to help you get started.

The 45th Parallel — a celebrated latitude line located halfway between the Equator and the North Pole where the Aurora Borealis