Amazing Aurora Photos from the Great Solar Storm of 1989 (Gallery)

By Space.com Staff
published

Aurora of March 13, 1989, from Sea Cliff, NY

©1989 Ken Spencer

Photograph of the aurora of March 13, 1989, taken from Sea Cliff, NY, by Ken Spencer. The view is looking roughly northeast.

Aurora of March 13, 1989, from Sea Cliff, NY #2

©1989 Ken Spencer

Photograph of the aurora of March 13, 1989, taken from Sea Cliff, NY, by Ken Spencer. The view is looking roughly northeast.

Aurora of March 13, 1989, from Sea Cliff, NY #3

©1989 Ken Spencer

Photograph of the aurora of March 13, 1989, taken from Sea Cliff, NY, by Ken Spencer. The view is looking roughly northeast.

Aurora of March 13, 1989, from Sea Cliff, NY #4

©1989 Ken Spencer

Photograph of the aurora of March 13, 1989, taken from Sea Cliff, NY, by Ken Spencer. The view is looking roughly northeast.

Aurora of March 13, 1989, from Sea Cliff, NY #5

©1989 Ken Spencer

Photograph of the aurora of March 13, 1989, taken from Sea Cliff, NY, by Ken Spencer. The view is looking roughly northeast.

Anatomy of Sun Storms & Solar Flares (Infographic)

Karl Tate/SPACE.com

See how solar flares, sun storms and huge eruptions from the sun work in this SPACE.com infographic. View the full solar storm infographic here.

Guide to the Auroras (Infographic) Alternate

Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor

The northern lights are more formally known as auroras, and are caused by interactions between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field. See how the northern lights work in this Space.com infographic.

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.