G1Peak 17 March 1989 at 03:00 UTC
Northern Lights on 17 March 1989 (Kp 5.3): Where They Were Visible
Kp reached 5.3. At that level the edge of the auroral oval reaches about 55.8° magnetic latitude, so the aurora could be seen low on the horizon down to roughly 51.3°. Activity stayed at storm level (Kp 5 or more) for 6 hours.
Kp 0–3 Kp 4 Kp 5–6 (G1–G2) Kp 7+ (G3+) Times in UTC; faded bars are forecasts.
Three-hourly Kp from GFZ, one day either side of the storm.
Where the aurora could be seen
1,248 towns on our list had enough activity while it was dark there. Cloud cover is not included.
| Country | Places | Examples | Furthest from the pole |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 578 | Seattle, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis | Cedar Rapids |
| Canada | 388 | Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa | LaSalle |
| United Kingdom | 169 | Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle upon Tyne | Middlesbrough |
| Denmark | 45 | Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg | Nakskov |
| Norway | 30 | Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Sandnes | Mandal |
| Iceland | 18 | Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Reykjanesbær | Vík í Mýrdal |
| Greenland | 6 | Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat, Qaqortoq | Qaqortoq |
| Faroe Islands | 4 | Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Fuglafjørður, Miðvágur | Tórshavn |
| New Zealand | 4 | Invercargill, Gore, Stewart Island/Rakiura (Oban), The Catlins (Owaka) | Gore |
| Australia | 3 | Hobart, Bruny Island (Alonnah), Southport / Cockle Creek | Hobart |
| Ireland | 2 | Letterkenny, Sligo | Sligo |
| Germany | 1 | Westerland | Westerland |
Only in photos
1,611 more towns could have caught a faint red or green glow low on the horizon with a phone or camera.
Whether the aurora was actually seen also depended on the weather. Use this as a guide to where it was possible.