Human consequences
Auroras are seen as far south as the Caribbean; in the north-eastern United States they are so bright that people can read a newspaper in the middle of the night.
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From spaceCarrington solar storm
0Deaths
Not quantifiedDisplaced / homeless
Not quantifiedEstimated cost
- No recorded deaths: at the time, only the telegraph depended on electricity.
On 1 September, British astronomer Richard Carrington observes the first solar flare ever described. Less than 18 hours later, a burst of solar material hits the Earth and triggers the strongest geomagnetic storm on record.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
The northern and southern lights reach unusual latitudes, down to the tropics.
Economic consequences
The telegraph network is disrupted in Europe and North America: operators get electric shocks, paper catches fire, and some lines even work without batteries.
Political consequences
It is the reference scenario: a storm of this size today could damage satellites and power grids, hence the space weather services created since.
Further reading
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