When to Photograph the Northern Lights in Copper Harbor: Moon Phases, Equinoxes & Local Wisdom

Even in the deep freeze, the sky finds a way to burn bright.

If you’ve ever stood on a Keweenaw shoreline while the sky begins to ripple green and purplish-pink above Lake Superior, you know: it’s not something you’ll forget.

Whether you’re planning your first visit to the Upper Peninsula or returning with hopes of seeing the aurora again, timing matters. This guide will help you understand when and why the Northern Lights are most visible in the Keweenaw—and how to stack the odds in your favor using local insights, natural patterns, and practical tools.

Why the Keweenaw Is an Aurora Hotspot

The Keweenaw Peninsula extends far into Lake Superior, giving it a unique combination of northern latitude and exceptionally dark skies. Locations like Copper Harbor, Calumet Waterworks, and Brockway Mountain Drive offer broad northern views, minimal light pollution, and a rugged beauty that makes every sighting feel like a gift.

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Moon Phases: The Subtle Factor That Changes Everything

The best aurora displays often happen near the new moon. A dark sky makes the colors of the aurora more vivid and helps the Milky Way emerge behind it.

• New Moon = Ideal for visibility

• Full Moon = Can wash out faint auroras, but adds light to your landscape

• Best Window = Four days before or after a new moon

Pro Tip: Mid-October sometimes brings the rare combination of early snowfall and lingering fall color—a magical pairing, which might not be too visible under the aurora but lets you have stunning unique landscapes during the day and awe-filled skies at night.

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Why the Equinoxes Bring Better Auroras

Did you know the spring and fall equinoxes are often the most aurora-active times of year?

That’s because Earth's tilt relative to the sun during these times makes it easier for solar wind to interact with our magnetic field—resulting in more frequent geomagnetic storms.

Watch for peak activity:

• 📅 March 15–30

• 🍂 September 15–October 5

Equinox + New Moon = Prime Time
Plan trips around these windows for your best chance of success.

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Aurora Forecast apps let you know when activity is peaking—even before it’s visible to the eye.

Tracking Solar Activity Without Becoming a Scientist

You don’t need to be an astronomer or physicist to monitor the aurora forecast. I recommend:

• Space Weather Live (iOS/Android app)

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

• K-index alerts (set to Kp 4+ for Copper Harbor)

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Weather Matters (Especially Around Lake Superior)

Even short clearing windows can reveal breathtaking skies—patience pays off.

The Keweenaw's weather is shaped by Lake Superior. Clouds can appear and disappear quickly, especially in fall.

The best skies often follow:

• Cold fronts

• Lake effect storms

• High-pressure clearing

Tools I use to check weather:

• Windy.com

• Clear Outside 

• Local radar

Some of my best aurora photos were taken in brief 10-minute clearings just after a snow squall passed.

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Quick Planning Chart

Factor	Condition
Season	September–April (peaks in March, October)
Moon Phase	New moon ± 4 days
Kp Index	5 or higher
Cloud Cover	0-30%, ideally breaking post-front
Time	9 PM - 2 AM (often peaks between 11PM and midnight)

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Local Insight: What I Tell My Clients

“Plan for a cold night, pack your layers, bring a thermos—and prepare to stand in awe. The aurora is never guaranteed, but the experience of chasing it is always worth it.”

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Ready to Experience the Keweenaw Night Sky?

If you’d like to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights—and come away with great photos—I offer guided night photography excursions tailored to the season, forecast, and your goals.

👉 Book your experience

🔁 Links

• teoliver photography Excursions

• “Top 5 Keweenaw Locations for Night Sky Photography” (placeholder until live)

The Five “P”s of Keweenaw Photography: A Local's Guide to Capturing the North

The Keweenaw doesn’t pose for you. It invites you. And if you’re lucky enough to show up prepared, it offers images that feel earned—not just captured.

As a wildlife and night sky photographer who calls this place home, I’ve spent years learning how to work with the Keweenaw, not against it. It’s not always easy here—weather rolls in fast, light disappears quicker than you expect, and cell service disappears entirely. But when everything aligns? It’s magic.

That’s why I rely on what I call the Five Ps of Keweenaw Photography—a simple, field-tested mindset that helps photographers of all levels create more intentional, meaningful images in this rugged and rewarding landscape.

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1. Place: Know It Deeply

At the mouth of the Gratiot River, two figures pause on the edge of ancient stone and freshwater sky—reminding us that place is not just where we stand, but how we witness.

“Where” isn’t just geography—it’s also geology, weather, and story.

The Keweenaw Peninsula isn’t just scenic—it’s shaped by ancient lava flows, bordered by cold freshwater seas, and home to boreal wildlife that feels almost more Alaskan than Midwestern. Places like Brockway Mountain, Hunter’s Point, or Hungarian Falls look different depending on the season, the time of day, or even the week’s weather. One trail might be vibrant with choruses of songbirds in June and then silent under snow by November.

If you want to capture more than snapshots, start with place-based research. Learn when the trilliums bloom. Pay attention to when the northern lights are most likely. Talk to locals about seasonal road conditions or where the herons are nesting. The more you understand this place, the more it will show you.

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With the tripod set and the camera ready, the artist watches fog rise across a Bare Bluff, waiting for the right moment when light and landscape align.

2. Patience: Wait for the Moment

The Keweenaw rewards those who are willing to slow down.

This is not a “shoot-and-scoot” kind of place. The best images come when you stop trying to chase a shot and, instead, let it come to you. Whether I’m photographing the aurora over Lake Superior or waiting for a pileated woodpecker to reappear, I’ve learned that stillness often gets the best results.

Bring something to sit-on with you. Brew a thermos of tea. Let the forest settle around you. This kind of presence often translates into better images—ones that feel quieter, more intimate, more authentic.

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3. Preparation: Pack Like a Local

It’s not the prettiest checklist—but it’s saved my butt more than once.

The Keweenaw doesn’t mess around. You can start your day in a comfortable golden light and end it completely soaked, frozen, or mosquito-bitten. That’s why preparation is the difference between a good shoot and one that ends early with frostbitten fingers or fogged lenses. Expect the unexpected.

My must-pack list includes:

• Red-light headlamp or flashlight (for night hikes and night sky shoots)

• Extra gloves, socks, and a base layer—always…every season of the year.

• Garbage bags for sudden gear rainproofing

• Local maps (offline apps like OnX Backcountry or Gaia GPS help too)

• Hot drinks and snacks (I swear by ginger tea and love smoked whitefish from Peterson’s) [consider this a bonus “P” of Keweenaw photography]

• Insect repellent (Because DEET can damage plastics (i.e., my camera) I prefer to use repellents that use Picaridin, instead, for mosquito and flies. For ticks, I use permethrin-based repellents)

And if you're planning night sky photography? Don't forget to include a way to heat your lens ( I use disposable hand warmers attached to my lens body with rubber bands) and some backup batteries. Cool summer nights cause condensation to form on a camera lens and anytime it’s cold, power is eaten like you wouldn’t believe.

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4. Perspective: Tell a Bigger Story

A great Keweenaw photo doesn’t just show what you saw—it shares what you felt.

My clients (and readers like you) aren’t just after pretty pictures. They’re looking for a connection—to place, to nature, to memory. Whether you’re photographing a misty morning on the Estivant Pines Trail or the red glow of the aurora over Copper Harbor, ask yourself: What does this mean to me?

That’s your story.

Sometimes that means photographing wildlife behavior, sometimes it’s wide shots that show scale and weather, and sometimes it’s personal—your boots in frame, your breath in the air, your own presence in the landscape. Perspective is emotional as much as compositional.

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5. Practice: Make Peace With the Misses

A foggy morning view of the historic Quincy Smelting Works gave me inspiration to reflect upon the regions history.

Some of your best days out here won’t result in a photo at all (or maybe you get a photo you didn’t expect).

The Keweenaw is truly humbling. You’ll drive 90 minutes or more to photograph the northern lights—and end up in a fog bank. You’ll see a bear when you least expect it, raise your camera—and watch it vanish. That’s simply part of the adventure.

Every time you go out, though—even when the shot doesn’t come—you’re learning the light. You’re building your instincts. And maybe most importantly, you’re showing up for the place.

That kind of practice doesn’t just create better photographers, but more connected ones—photographers who, through their experiences, respect, love, and care about where they are.

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Ready to Explore With Me?

If these five “P”s resonate with you, I’d love to invite you on one of my small-group or one-on-one photography outings here in the Keweenaw. I focus on quiet locations, conservation storytelling, and helping people of all skill levels find their voice through nature photography.

📸 Explore Guided Photography Excursions »

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Internal Links

• Night Sky Explorer Kit (placeholder until live)

• Aurora Photography Tips (placeholder until live)

• FAQ: Photography Excursions (placeholder until live)

External Links

• Visit Keweenaw

• Dark Sky International

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Final Thought

The Keweenaw isn’t flashy. It’s not trying to be the next Instagram darling. But it’s real. It’s powerful. And if you approach it with respect and curiosity, it will meet you with moments that stay with you long after the shutter clicks.

Ready to photograph it like you mean it?

Photographing the Perseid Meteor Shower from Michigan’s Keweenaw Dark Sky Park

The Perseid Meteor shower peaked Saturday night as the Earth passes through the dust left by the Swift-Tuttle comet. I think I saw more shooting stars, sitting out for the few hours that I did, than the total I have seen for the past decade.

The five shooting stars in this image are from a composite of three 15-second exposures (though the three meteorites on the right hand side were all from the same individual picture).

Also in this picture is an example of “airglow” a phenomenon similar to the Aurora but less intense. Airglow is caused by the steady stream of radiation from the sun and while it is not typically visible to the unaided eye, it shows up in long exposure photos.

Special thanks to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, and Chris Guibert for hosting and organizing a Perseid Meteor Shower Party. There were about 20 Dark Sky enthusiasts and other photographers taking in the meteorite show and hanging out under the stars. It was a lot of fun.

Northern Lights Spectators

Last night’s (23 April 2023) Aurora borealis was so bright you could still see it when looking straight toward the moon. The brightest Northern Lights were actually behind me during this shot. This shot was taken at the ruins located at Freda.

I have wanted to get a shot of this circular pool with the sky’s reflection in it for a very long time. While I like this picture, I wish I could have had it a little bit wider and at. a slightly different angle.

I also like that this picture shows the larger number of people that were there watching the northern lights. I am not one for large crowds and most people who want to see the northern lights feel they need flashlights to get to the locations good for seeing them - so, I tend to get a little frustrated as people move through my shots using their lights and generally being loud. I just try to remind myself that everyone enjoys these phenomena in their own way and while their way might just be different mine, they are still having an awesome experience that most people in the world don’t get.

Light Ripples

After a weekend of cloudy skies for the first Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival, the universe still taunted us with an amazing Aurora display that was mostly concealed behind a thick layer of clouds. However, that cloud bank stopped about 15 miles (by road…not direct line) from my house. So, we ventured further south to catch the lights of the north (as did about a hundred other people, too - evidenced by the line of lights coming down the bluff in the picture).

One of the things that I love about the Keweenaw is the interesting way nature mixes with remnants of human industrial history. This particular location is the ruins of an old copper mill. It has everything you would expect of an abandoned industrial complex - concrete, rust, broken glass, and graffiti. Juxtaposing all that with a mesmerizing giant solar storm in the atmosphere gives us an interesting perspective on the beauty and the hardship of the universe…and of the Keweenaw.

Light Switches

In all my years, even in my most ridiculous ideas of what my future life would be like, I never imagined that I would own a real, full-size lighthouse that, at one time (at a previous location) provided navigational safety on a waterway. (There’s a long story that goes with this lighthouse…but that is for another time.)

For now, I ponder what I have and what my responsibility with it should be. At its core, this lighthouse is the largest bit of “yard art” (that I know of) in the area. I, for one, don’t like “yard art“ - I prefer to call such signs and kitschy sculptures “junk.” That being said, I admit that I was intrigued…possibly enamored…with the presence of this lighthouse on the property when we were looking to buy.

However, what I can truly say I enjoy about our property is the number and variety of birds I see throughout the seasons. Which, consequently, leads me back to my thoughts about my responsibility in owning this lighthouse…which serves no navigation but has a continually-lit 10-watt LED.

During migration, birds use the stars and the moon for navigation. Research has shown that artificial lights disrupt bird migration. Recommendations from ornithologist are that all unnecessary artificial lights should be turned off during periods of migration. So, I worry that this thing I own, that serves no greater purpose than as a beautiful spot to sit and watch the lake and sunsets, is actually harmful to that which I truly enjoy. Granted, I have never found a dead bird at the base of this lighthouse. However, I know that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence and it makes me wonder about the unseen impacts this lighthouse has during a very dangerous part of the lives of millions of birds - comprised of more than 250 species that migrate through here at night.

It really wouldn’t take much for me to install a switch. I think it’s time for that.

Snags in Winter Wetlands

I am fascinated by the importance and beauty of dead trees (aka: “snags”) in ecosystems. I’ve shared, in previous posts, why I consider them so important for ecosystems but I have never really shared why I find them so visually alluring. It might be because when I was a child, my family’s dining room had a picture that was drawn by the local art teacher which I, for some reason, found fascinating. It was a charcoal drawing on burlap of a collection of sparse conifers and snags in a bog - a very typical scene which can be found in many places across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I could look at it over and over again and see stories and history and biology. I see bogs with conifer trees pretty regularly whenever driving down just about any given highway in the U.P. - and every single one of them reminds me of that picture.

I don’t know if those landscapes are inherently beautiful or if they are just alluring to me because of the picture that hung in our dining room. In any case, the moment I drove past the location in this picture, I could see its potential. I have gone back to it time and again and it always presents a scene that is differently beautiful to me. Though, it never feels quite as full of life as it does when the night sky is dancing above it.

The Source

Although this picture was taken at the end of the Aurora event the other night, I thought this looked like the Aurora was emerging from this single tree and expanding across the Lake Superior basin to blanket the sky.

I know that this looks heavily edited. However, it is not. I still don’t fully understand why the sky on the left side of the image is so blue when compared to the right side of the picture.

I had positioned the camera so that the moon was just out of frame (There’s a brighter spot in the upper left corner near where the moon is located). So I thought that the light bleed from the moon might have been the cause of the difference. However, I don’t think that explains why there doesn’t seem to be a gradient and instead seems that the separation for the color difference in the sky follows the Aurora.

Weird!

If anyone knows why this would happen, please let me know.

Keweenaw Dark Sky Park Inaugural Night Sky Photography Workshop

The inaugural Night Sky Photo Workshop at the newly designated Keweenaw Dark Sky Park was a success. Admittedly, it took some perseverance and patience but many hours after the class portion of the workshop concluded the sky finally cleared (mostly) and offered beautiful views of the Milky Way in one direction and the glow of the northern lights in the other. This was Brad’s first time getting his own pictures of the Aurora and he was very excited about it.

The Night Sky Photography Workshops take place each month at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, on (or near) the date of the new moon. Check out the Lodge’s website and calendar of events for the next workshop. Call or email the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge’s Events and Education to get signed up.

Poster from the inaugural Night Sky Photography Workshop at the newly designated Keweenaw Dark Sky Park.

A hasty escape

This Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) did not like the idea of me having my coffee on teh deck of our cabin along Lake Au Train.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of having a fresh cup of coffee, in the early morning sun rising straight out in front of our deck. Many days the ducks, geese, and herons simply make their way into the cove (which is only about 50 feet from the edge of our deck), while we are sitting out greeting the new morning. However, today, this goose had arrived earlier than we did and it didn’t like our sudden intrusion of its space. Shortly thereafter, though the regular entourage of birds gathered in front of our place.

Please don’t feed ducks and geese. It unnecessarily habituates them to humans and such actions can actually be dangerous for the birds (especially when people feed them bread). Bread is nutritionally lacking for ducks and geese and, since it quickly fills their stomachs, they avoid eating healthier, naturally-occurring foods they normally rely upon.

Early Morning River Crossing

Each year, when Kay and I are back home for the summer, we always make sure to take at least one day where we get up early and haul our Wilderness Systems tandem kayak down to the Au Train River access in order to float down the river before “the amateurs” wake up and get out on the water. The Au Train River is a popular canoeing and kayaking destination and because it is a shallow, slow moving body of water, it attracts a large number of people who are somewhat inexperienced paddlers and are often very loud making it very hard to see wildlife. Every time we we are able to be the first people paddling down the river for the day, we are able to truly experience the tranquility of the river and we have always been able to have some amazing encounters with wildlife.

This year we had a beaver rise up immediately next to the kayak and swim along with us. I didn’t want to make any sudden movements and startle it, so I wasn’t able to put down my paddle to grab my camera - so, there was no chance to get a picture . However, it swam next to us, within touching distance for well over fifty yards.

This doe white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and its two fawns entered the river about about 75 yards in front of us and proceeded to make their way across. We stopped paddling and simply let the flow of water drift us toward them, while I was able to get this picture of their beautiful summer coats contrasted agains the lush greens of the mid-summer vegetation.