Solar storms: more dangerous than you think. Can we survive another Carrington Event?

WE'RE DUE FOR ANOTHER CARRINGTON EVENT

On September 1, 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington was observing a huge sunspot. Suddenly, a flash of intense white light burst from the sun's surface.

He had become the first eye-witness of a major Coronal Mass Ejection or CME. And it was headed straight for earth.

Seventeen hours later, the night sky in North America lit up like the day. Aurora Borealis, typically only seen near the north pole, were visible as far south as Colombia. In the southern hemisphere, Aurora Australis were visible North of Brisbane.

A few hours later, on September 2, the most powerful solar storm ever recorded crashed into the Earth's atmosphere. Our magnetic field was immediately overpowered and created chaos around the world.

Nobody had ever seen anything like this before. This became known as the Carrington Event.

At the time, scientists thought this was a unique phenomenon.

It wasn't.

It's happened before, it's happened since and it will happen again.

And when it does, it could be the worst natural disaster in human history.

Let's find out why.

----
Thank you Patreon members Jim H, Daniel M, Mauricio, EW, Bill H, Stella, Sal, Dalton, John G, Aaron C, Jacob S, Jason S, Christy A, Steven S, Hockey, Kalmar and Moon Raker!

〰

🙏 SUPPORT THE WHY FILES
🙏

/ thewhyfiles (Fun, Free Perks!)

👽 BUY WHY FILES MERCH
👽 https://shop.thewhyfiles.com (Code: LIZZIDPEEPLE for 10% off first order)

💬 CHAT WITH US ON DISCORD
💬 https://thewhyfiles.com/discord

〰
🌐 OFFICIAL WEB SITE: https://thewhyfiles.com

🕵️ Submit a topic, suggestion or just say hi:
🕵️ https://thewhyfiles.com/tips

🎨 Have a product suggestion or want to design artwork for TWF?
🎨 https://thewhyfiles.com/merch

📸 BE A WHY FILES MODEL (and get free stuff!)
📸 Send a photo of you/family/friends watching TWF,
📸 wearing TWF gear, using TWF merchandise:
📸 https://thewhyfiles.com/wild

〰
🎧 THE PODCAST VERSION
🎧 https://thewhyfiles.com/podcast

〰
⁍ TWF on SOCIAL (in order of importance)
⁍

/ thewhyfiles
⁍

/ omgthewhyfiles
⁍

/ omgthewhyfiles
⁍

/ thewhyfiles
⁍

/ omgthewhyfiles

〰
🐠 BETTER CHANNELS TO WATCH:
🐠

/ hecklefishmoriarty
🤓

/ thewhyfilesbackstage

----
SOURCES & LINKS
https://geoxc-apps2.bd.esri.com/Visua...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/defau...
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Advanced_...
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/st...

#science #solarstorm #history