How I was able to see the Northern Lights in Michigan

The Aurora Borealis has always fascinated me, but I imagined I would have to travel to Alaska, Norway, Iceland, or some far off, far North region to see it. I live in Illinois, so those destinations all seemed a little bit insurmountable. It wasn't until I was staying in a cabin in Northern Michigan when the thought occurred to me, and I decided to do some research. It turns out, Michigan's Upper Peninsula is one of the best places in the United States to see the Northern Lights, besides, of course, Alaska. If you, like me, dream of seeing the dancing lights in the sky, stay tuned for a few tips.

1. Think North

When planning your trip, you're gonna want to go as far North as you can. They're called the Northern Lights, after all. The Upper Peninsula is way up there, but for the best viewing, you will want to travel to the Northern tip of the Upper Peninsula, the Keweenaw Peninsula, which juts out into the middle of Lake Superior. The giant lake is also very beneficial, as it provides a large amount of open sky, a perfect stage for the lights to dance on.

2. Download a Aurora Tracking app.

I owe most of my success to the app, My Aurora Forecast. It shows you a view of where the Aurora is at the moment, overlayed over a map. I kept an eye on it every night to see how close in was to my location. The Aurora is very unpredictable, so the best way to track it is in the moment.

3. Don't try to Forecast it

As I mentioned above, the Aurora is very unpredictable. The app will give you a rough estimate of Aurora activity for the upcoming days, but be aware that it will change. Instead of trying to plan one night to see the Northern Lights, I took a look at the tracker every night. Be ready to run outside, down to the shore of the lake at a time that you might not have planned for.

4. Give Yourself Enough Time

Long story short, the Aurora don't come out every night in Michigan. To give yourself the best chance of seeing them, you will want to schedule a trip that is at least a few days long. If you're really pressed for time, schedule your trip in April or August, the peak Aurora months. And, if you're willing, stay up all night looking at the tracker. Even if it didn't predict high activity that night, you never know what could happen if you keep an eye out.

5. Know what to Look for

Depending on how strong the Aurora is that night, it might not look how you are expecting it to look. And remember that in Michigan, they are usually strong. If you're looking for a bright green light, you might completely overlook the Aurora. I went outside around 11 pm, and at first, The Aurora just looked like a white glow in the sky. I could tell it was the Aurora because it turned out green when I took a long exposure photo on my camera. We went down to the beach and watched the lights for a while. Eventually, we started to see vertical lines appear, and the glow became slightly more green as the Aurora grew stronger. Note that long exposure on cameras make the can capture the Aurora a little bit better than our eyes can.

6. Know How to use your Camera in Manual Mode

If you want a beautiful image to post on Instagram, you're gonna need to know how to keep your shutter open for a few seconds. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry! It's not difficult, and this article will teach you everything you need to know.

The most important thing to remember is that seeing the Aurora Borealis in Michigan is very possible! All of the photos in this article are real and were taken in Michigan! Just keep an eye out and be willing to run outside at any hour of the night! Happy chasing!