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The Carrington Event is the strongest geomagnetic storm on record.
The Carrington Event of 1859 was the most intense geomagnetic storm ever recorded, disrupting telegraph systems worldwide.
On September 2, 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington observed an enormously bright solar flare.
Within hours, Earth’s magnetic field was rocked by the resulting geomagnetic storm.
Auroras glowed as far south as the Caribbean and telegraph lines sparked and failed across Europe and North America.
Some operators reported receiving shocks and sending messages without power.
The Carrington Event revealed the vulnerability of electrical infrastructure to solar activity.
Modern studies warn a similar storm today could cause widespread technological chaos.
1859
Carrington Event