In August of 1859, during historic Solar Cycle 10, something very strange began to happen. The Sun, as it neared solar max, grew unusually active. It produced prolific numbers of sunspots and flares, some of which were visible to the naked eye. This continued through the end of the month, until, just before noon on September 1, British astronomer Richard Carrington, just 33 and already acknowledged as one of England's premier solar astronomers, observed an incredibly brilliant solar flare – a flare that was easily visible to the naked eye. In later times, this single flare became known as The Carrington Super-Flare. In his own words from his scientific records:
“...Within the area of the great
north group [of sunspots]...two patches of intensely bright and white
light broke out...My first impression was that by some chance a ray
of light had penetrated a hole in the [projection] screen...for the
brilliancy was fully equal to that of direct sun-light; but by at
once interrupting the current observation, and causing the image to
move by turning the R.A. [right ascension, an astronomical coordinate
akin to longitude] handle, I saw I was an unprepared witness to a
very different affair...The instant of the first outburst was not 15
seconds different from 11h 18m Greenwich mean time, and 11h 23m was
taken for the time of disappearance [from the telescope's view]. In
this lapse of 5 minutes, the two patches of light traversed a space
of about 35,000 miles...”
British amateur astronomer Richard
Hodgeson also observed it; Balfour Steward at the Kew Observatory
noted a “crochet” effect on the observatory's magnetometer. (A
“crochet” is also sometimes called a Sudden Ionospheric
Disturbance, or SID. It is when a solar event produces an abnormally
high plasma density – remember, plasma is like the stuff in your
fluorescent lights – in one layer of the ionosphere. This in turn
creates literal electric currents running through the ionosphere,
which magnetometers pick up. It creates something of an invisible
lacy pattern in the atmosphere, hence, I suppose, the term “crochet.”)
And all of the previous flares and
coronal mass ejections had fairly effectively cleared the
interplanetary medium between the Sun and Earth.
The enormous coronal mass ejection
produced by the super-flare slammed into Earth in only 17 hours.
The resulting effects lasted several
days.
What kind of effects?
Worldwide aurorae for starters. These
aurorae were most noted in the Caribbean, where they had never been
seen before. Colorado gold miners, awakened by the brightening skies,
got up and began cooking their breakfasts, because they thought it
was dawn. In Europe and the northeastern United States, newspapers
could be read by the light of the aurorae.
Speaking of newspapers, the Baltimore
American and Commercial Advisor spoke of the ongoing event in
poetic terms. “Those who happened to be out late on Thursday night
had an opportunity of witnessing another magnificent display of the
auroral lights. The phenomenon was very similar to the display on
Sunday night, though at times the light was, if possible, more
brilliant, and the prismatic hues more varied and gorgeous. The light
appeared to cover the whole firmament, apparently like a luminous
cloud, through which the stars of the larger magnitude indistinctly
shone. The light was greater than that of the moon at its full, but
had an indescribable softness and delicacy that seemed to envelop
everything upon which it rested. Between 12 and 1 o'clock, when the
display was at its full brilliancy, the quiet streets of the city
resting under this strange light, presented a beautiful as well as
singular appearance.”
Those dealing in the business of
telegraphy did not think so highly of the display. The incredibly
intense event, a maximal G5 and S5 by any definition, created induced
currents in telegraph wires that were simply impossible to control.
Lines and pylons threw sparks, telegraph batteries were blown,
telegraphers received severe shocks, and telegraph “flimsy” paper
burst into flames.
And yet some telegraph systems
continued to function, despite having no batteries to power them. The
induced current was simply that strong.
This was the Carrington Event, the most
powerful solar/geomagnetic storm ever to occur in recorded history.
It was before the advent of electricity, or electronics, or
integrated grids and networks, save for telegraph systems, with which
it wreaked havoc. Imagine what effect it would have today.
Dibs on the story. ;-)
-Stephanie Osborn
