A cosmic event affected several telegraph systems around the world on September 1 and 2, 1859. The communication and power infrastructures received electrical shocks, burning lines, and other interconnected components. In addition, several devices of the time were able to run even without power supplies, such as batteries attached to them.
In this event, the evening sky was full of visible dancing lights called auroras that stretched to the atmospheric region of countries located lower than the northern hemisphere. These northern lights were visible even in regions of Colombia.
The northern lights or aurora borealis are commonly seen in the upper hemisphere of the planet. The light show appears exclusively in countries near the Arctic, including Scandinavia, Canada, and Siberia.
Experts dubbed the phenomenon in 1859 as the Carrington event. The unusual activities and reactions of the technologies during the time were induced by what is scientifically known as a massive geomagnetic storm. Unlike the periodic occurrence of strong rains and winds, we are familiar with; this storm is caused by the sun.
Solar Activities and Coronal Mass Ejection, Explained
A geomagnetic storm is an effect of a large superheated gas bubble that is emitted by the sun during a solar storm. The object's origin, known as the plasma, frequently ejects its bubbles towards the planetary members of the solar system, including Earth.
The bubbles containing destructive properties harnessed from the sun are what experts call a coronal mass ejection (CME).
The plasma contained in CMEs is concentrated clouds of charged electrons and protons. The moment these particles reach Earth, CMEs disrupt the state of the planet's magnetic field.
Coronal mass ejection effects include weakening and distortion of Earth's magnetic field. The interaction of the plasma and the protective sheet causes reactions that result in the rare presence of aurora borealis appearing in skies of other parts of the globe.
Coronal mass ejections could cause geomagnetic storms similar to the Carrington event. Massive storms were even recorded far back to 774 CE, right when the Miyake event. This phenomenon was so big that the solar flares increased the production of carbon-14 more than its standard rates.
Effects of Geomagnetic Storms in Power and Communication on Earth
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses the Geomagnetic Storms scale to measure each of the solar eruptions' intensity. The 'G scale' ranges from G1, the lowest, to G5, the highest.
Geomagnetic storms that demonstrate the G5 intensity, similar to the Carrington event, could knock out power grids. Today, most of the functions in society are gradually jumping to electric-based technologies.
When a massive geomagnetic storm occurs, the world may lose trillions of dollars in collective revenues and possibly death among the population who depend on electric mediums.
A large geomagnetic storm will also impact communication lines and infrastructures. Most of the providers in all countries might be affected. Signals from small and large networks would be inflicted, such as the internet, telephone, radio, and television.
Geomagnetic storms are likely to expand Earth's atmosphere, which poses a problem to the satellites and other modules hovering at low orbit. According to Science Alert, solar activity may drag each object nearer to the planet and cause mega-constellations to rain down to Earth's surface.
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