Carrington Event

The intense geomagnetic storm of September 1859, associated with a major solar eruption. It produced vivid auroras and disrupted telegraph systems.

Coronal mass ejection: A large eruption of magnetized plasma from the Sun’s corona into interplanetary space. A fast solar eruption is the leading explanation for the storm’s arrival at Earth.
Richard Carrington: An English astronomer who observed a bright white-light solar flare in 1859. His observation linked a sudden solar brightening with the storm that followed.
Solar cycle: The roughly 11-year cycle in the Sun’s magnetic activity, including changes in sunspots and eruptions. The 1859 storm occurred during a period of substantial solar activity.
Space weather: Conditions in space, especially near Earth, shaped by solar activity and its effects on planets and technology. The storm is a landmark example of extreme space weather affecting Earth.
Geomagnetic storm: A disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere caused by energy and particles transferred from the solar wind. The Carrington Event is the strongest well-documented example of this broader phenomenon.
Richard Hodgson: An English astronomer who independently observed the 1859 white-light solar flare. His independent sighting corroborated Carrington’s account of the solar event.
Sunspot: A relatively dark, cooler region on the Sun’s visible surface associated with concentrated magnetic fields. Carrington observed the flare emerging from a large sunspot group.
Power grid: An interconnected system that generates, transmits, and distributes electrical power. Long transmission lines could experience damaging induced currents during a comparable modern storm.
Magnetosphere: The region around Earth dominated by its magnetic field and shaped by the solar wind. Its interaction with solar ejecta produced the storm’s magnetic disturbances.
Telegraphy: Communication by transmitting electrical signals through wires over distance. Operators reported shocks, sparks, and communications continuing with batteries disconnected.

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