You might remember last September, when Beaver Island was designated a Dark Sky Sanctuary, one of only 22 in the world. Well, I came back to the island to celebrate another milestone, the Michigan Aurora chasers coming to experience the magic of the Dark Sky Sanctuary for the first time.
In 2021. Melissa Kaelin started the Facebook group Michigan Aurora Chasers and today it has almost 130,000 members.
“When I first went to Michigan in 2018, there wasn’t really a statewide group that was supportive and had regular live sightings across the entire state of Michigan with a welcoming community. And one night in January, I decided to launch a group, and I had no idea it would become as big as it did, as fast as it did or as popular as it is. The Michigan Aurora Chasers is a force of nature,” said founder, Melissa Kaelin.
For many of the members that came for the chase, it was their first time on Beaver Island, and for some it was even their first time meeting one another.
“One of our passions of the Michigan Aurora Chasers has been partnering with communities and especially organizers around Dark Sky advocacy. So, we have been in- I have been in particular to three of our international Dark-Sky parks in Michigan, but the International Dark Sky Sanctuary here on Beaver Island is even a higher degree than that. So, it’s like the Holy Grail for us to experience these dark skies on this island as we speak. We’re really excited to be here,” Kaelin said.
But what sparks someone to becoming part of the Michigan Aurora Chasers? For most members, it was their first encounter with the magical aurora that left them wanting to see more.
“I was just jumping up and down. We were so happy, and we were like, holy crap, it’s right there! It was huge! It was so bright and so strong in the sky and the pillars were so tall. It was, oh, it was just I can’t explain it. It was just amazing. I’ve just been in love and addicted ever since,” said a Michigan Aurora Chasers Admin member, Christina Sharp.
Not only are they hoping to catch a glimpse of an Aurora but also advocate for the importance of the dark sky.
“We wanted to let people know how precious the dark skies are. When I was a kid, I grew up in Michigan Center, down by Jackson, and you could look up in the sky and see the Milky Way. And now people kind of will say, well, when does the Milky Way come out? Where is the Milky Way? And I’m thinking, it’s out all night and it’s filling your entire sky! at. And it’s a travesty that we’re losing a precious resource here, our dark sky,” said another group admin, Patrick Grubba,
So, what does it mean to have the Michigan Aurora Chasers on Beaver Island? And what’s the big deal?
“It means that we now have many, many people that are aware of how dark our skies are, how rare our environment actually is, and how very special it is that there’s only a few places left in the world that are like this,” said Cynthia Hector Johnson of Beaver Island International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
And because Beaver Island is one of those places, the crew was able to catch Auroras throughout the weekend with beautiful views of the Milky Way, staying up to track most of the night through information provided by NOAA and NASA and maybe a little bit of luck...
“It’s always a guessing game on what it’s actually going to be like and where it is and everything. So, you use the numbers to kind of give yourself a guide. You know, I’m lying in bed at night and look at the numbers and see, is it looking like it might be good,” said admin member, Kevin Clark.
You can join in on all the fun and camaraderie of the Michigan Aurora Chasers group by searching “Michigan Aurora Chasers” on Facebook, joining that group and then embarking on your Aurora chasing journey here in Northern Michigan.
“I had no idea we would come this far. And something tells me this is only really the beginning,” said Kaelin.
You can also sign up for live alerts on Aurora sightings from the team here.