Book
Book
Melissa Kaelin
An author and public speaker, Melissa F. Kaelin has been chasing the Northern Lights for over 13 years. She is the founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers, a group of nearly 130,000 members, and the co-founder of the annual Aurora Summit, an international conference celebrating the art, culture, science and photography of the Aurora.
In 2020, she was selected as a NASA Social Media Ambassador to cover the launch of the Solar Orbiter, a spacecraft launched to study our Sun. In 2021, she began leading a “Live Chase” of the Northern Lights on active nights, escorting hundreds of people to their first Aurora sighting. Now, she has helped thousands of people to catch the Aurora for the first time, and she has published a guidebook for beginners. The 2nd Edition of the guidebook, “Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing Aurora in the Mid-latitudes,” was released on July 5, 2024.
Melissa has written about rare natural phenomena for many publications, her Aurora Chasing advice is quoted by International Dark Sky Parks, and she has presented many talks on Aurora Mythology, Aurora Forecasting and Night Sky Adventures. She has also served as a Staff Expert guiding tours of the Northern Lights in Iceland, and soon Finland, for the University of Michigan Alumni Association. In 2025, she served on the Ground Support Team for the SolarMax Mission and received the Science Communicator Award for her efforts. She has been interviewed for USA Today, NPR, iHeartRadio, and Thrillist, as well as many other media outlets. For more: KaelinArt.com
Patrick Grubba
Patrick Grubba is one of the leaders of the Michigan Aurora Chasers, a group that helps people catch the Northern Lights in Michigan and surrounding areas. Residing in the Mackinaw City area, he is famous for his call to “Get Outside Now,” which has helped people in at least four states catch the Aurora, as well as other countries like Scotland! He has discovered a love for astrophotography, and he presents and volunteers as an astronomer at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park. He also serves on the Board of the Mackinaw City Area Arts Council. His focus lies in appreciating the marvels of nature that surround us, as he documents his unique perspective of the world.
John Mueller
John is the owner of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, established in 1934. The Lodge is the headquarters of the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, founded in 2022.
Dr. Jared Wolfe
Dr. Jared Wolfe is an ornithologist and Assistant Professor at Michigan Technological University, specializing in avian ecology and conservation. His research focuses on understanding the factors affecting avian survival in both temperate and tropical forests. Dr. Wolfe is co-founder of the Louisiana Bird Observatory, the Biodiversity Initiative, and has conducted extensive fieldwork across the Americas and Africa. His work aims to bridge the gap between empirical research and practical conservation efforts, contributing to the preservation of avian biodiversity.
Meag Schwartz
In her role as Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative Network Coordinator, Meag fosters school-community partnerships, coordinates educator professional learning, and supports authentic, meaningful student stewardship projects across Northeast Michigan. Meag is a connector and conduit for all things place-based stewardship education, and works to bring external funding into the region through seeking and managing state and federal grants. She graduated from Alma College with a degree in Biology and later earned a master's degree in Environmental Science from Indiana University. Meag considers herself a lifelong learner and is curious about the world around her. She is a Great Lakes aficionado and enjoys snorkeling, paddleboarding, and hiking through the forests of northern Michigan. Contact her at: meag@greatlakesstewardship.org
Nate Bett
Nathan Bett is a career Artist, Photographer and Art Educator. His work has been exhibited and published at galleries and festivals worldwide, including the New York Times, the Aperture Gallery, the Ping Yao International Festival of Photography, Photoville, and the Devos Art Museum. He has provided a wide variety of commercial and educational services for clients including Canon USA, United Photo Industries, Harley Davidson, the Brooklyn Arts Council, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and others. Nathan has taught photography in the City University of New York system at Leman College, and the College of Staten Island. He is currently a Contingent Professor of Photography at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan.
Nathan lives in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula where he is inspired daily by the breath taking landscapes and deep night sky’s surrounding Lake Superior. He regularly teaches night sky photography workshops in the area, and when not photographing (or sometimes while!) he enjoys snowboarding, swimming, mountain biking, camping, and mushroom hunting with his family and friends.
Nathan has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Northern Michigan University, and a Master of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design. More: NateBett.com
Chris Guibert
Art has always been part of my life. I enjoy working through the creative process of just about anything. I drew as a kid and took art classes and mechanical drawing throughout high school. After 10 years in the mountain bike industry, at age 30 I went back to school and earned a degree in Professional Photography (AAS) from Colorado Mountain College. After graduation I worked as the production manager at Digital Arts Aspen, a digital photo studio in Aspen, Colorado. At DAA (Digital Arts Aspen) I worked on digital art reproductions, assisted other photographers in the studio and helped with Photoshop workshops. Since 2004 I have worked as a freelance photographer focusing on commercial work and editorial assignments in the adventure travel industry.
To view more of my work you can visit my website at chrisguibert.com or follow me on Instagram at @chrisguibert_photography.
Thomas Oliver
Thomas Oliver is a night sky photographer and outdoor educator based in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. With over 20 years of experience leading nature-focused excursions, he helps others connect with the night through guided hikes and hands-on photography workshops. His forthcoming book, The Keweenaw Aurora Guide (due out in September), is a practical resource for chasing and photographing the northern lights in the Keweenaw. Through his business, teoliver photography, Tom shares a passion for dark skies, photography science, and time well spent outdoors. Learn more at TEOliver.com.
Christopher Middlebrook
Christopher T. Middlebrook, is a Professor of Electrical and Computer engineering at Michigan Tech. University. Dr. Middlebrook research and teaching focus is within integrated optical devices and electronic substrate manufacturing and design. He has published 49 scientific papers and holds one patent. Dr. Middlebrook is a senior member of SPIE and OPTICA. He served as a visiting faculty appointment from 2016–2020 with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane where he has been engaged in active research within multiple research and engineering teams. He currently holds a visiting faculty research engineer position in the advanced technology team at Scientific Applications International Corporation in support of the DoD Executive Agent for Printed Circuits.
Kevin Clark
Kevin Clark is a photographer who loves the study of light. Photography is the process of capturing light. Learning how to manipulate the light allows you to get the image you want. Capturing dark skies is a challenge. Understanding how a camera works in the dark takes practice. A fun way to learn about capturing dark sky is playing with light painting. Kevin has spent most of his life trying different techniques understanding how to get the best photos. Kevin’s experience ranges from aerial photography to night time photography, using various cameras and lighting.