Geomagnetic storm:1859

The Wonders of Mother Nature.

Did you hear about the most intense Geomagnetic Storm in recorded history? Let’s take a closer look at what happened back in 1859.

The Story Of the Carrington Event

It was not a normal day for everyone who woke up on 2nd September 1859. People came out of their houses and witnessed something horrifying and amazing that they had never seen before. They saw the sky covered with thousands of auroras of different beautiful colors(red, blue, green, purple). It was so mesmerizing and frightful. Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, and Hawaii were some of the places which also witnessed these auroras for the first time. People were scared as something like this had never happened before, and people were confused.                  

An expert, English Astronomer Richard Carrington, knew that the Sun was responsible for all these disasters. He was on his telescope that day observing the sun when he came to know that the sun was producing a geomagnetic storm. Our Earth’s magnetic field wasn’t strong enough to hold those storms and the storms hit the earth causing severe damage. That way, it was given the name Carrington Event. The solar storm that occurred in 1859 was 3 times stronger than the storm that occurred on March 13, 1989.

Everything you need to know

• A geomagnetic storm is also known as a Magnetic storm and Solar Storm.
• The Geomagnetic storm that occurred in 1859, also known as the Carrington Event was the most intense in recorded history. 
• It caused a powerful auroral phenomenon that was witnessed globally. 
• It also caused tremendous sparking and fire in multiple telegraph systems. 
• The Coronal Mass Ejection from the Sun was responsible for this horrible yet unimaginable solar storm.
• This event caused faults in many telegraph systems all over Europe and North America, the telegraph operators suffered from electric shocks.
• Fields and forests caught fire as an enhanced electric current was flowing through electric wires.
• It was one of the most powerful and horrifying solar storms in history, giving it the name Solar Superstorm. 
• Telegraph paper ignited spontaneously. 
• Devices were disconnected from the transmission line but were still working, sending broken messages.

You might be wondering what exactly a Solar Storm is?

The Earth’s magnetic field started being interfered with by the activities happening on the Sun, this event is said to be a solar storm. Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections are some events responsible for creating solar storms. These events create a gust of charged particles called “Solar Wind” which can reach the earth within a few hours if directed towards the earth. This collision creates immense light as a geomagnetic storm erupts and can last for several days under favorable conditions.   

It was a blessing to have such a strong storm back in the time when technology had just come into existence. The situation could get a lot more drastic if such an event has taken place nowadays when technology is at its peak. It happened in the past doesn’t mean it would not happen again. Nature has shown its enormous and unimaginable capabilities and never fails to amaze us. These unpredictable and uncompelling events can occur anytime and anywhere.