G3Peak 5 May 1998 at 03:00 UTC
Northern Lights on 5 May 1998 (Kp 6.7): Where They Were Visible
Kp reached 6.7. At that level the edge of the auroral oval reaches about 53.2° magnetic latitude, so the aurora could be seen low on the horizon down to roughly 48.7°. Activity stayed at storm level (Kp 5 or more) for 12 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
1,637 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 | 1,206 | Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Portland | Pittsburgh |
| Canada | 404 | Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa | Eastern Passage |
| New Zealand | 9 | Dunedin, Invercargill, Mosgiel, Wānaka | Wānaka |
| Australia | 7 | Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie | Burnie |
| Latvia | 5 | Valmiera, Cēsis, Alūksne, Smiltene | Cēsis |
| Estonia | 3 | Võru, Valga, Põlva | Võru |
| Greenland | 2 | Nuuk, Qaqortoq | Qaqortoq |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | Petropavl | Petropavl |
Only in photos
1,282 more towns could have caught a faint red or green glow low on the horizon with a phone or camera.
- ChinaDaqing, Qiqihar, Hegang
- LithuaniaVilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai
- HungaryMiskolc, Kazincbarcika, Ózd
- SlovakiaNitra, Levice, Pezinok
- AustriaVienna, Linz, Tulln
- ArgentinaUshuaia, Río Grande
- ChilePunta Arenas, Puerto Williams
- GermanyFreising, Erding
- PolandBraniewo, Gołdap
- South AfricaCape Town, Gqeberha
- Falkland IslandsStanley
Whether the aurora was actually seen also depended on the weather. Use this as a guide to where it was possible.