Solar storm of 1859
The solar storm of 1859, also known as the Solar Superstorm,[1] or the Carrington Event,[2] which occurred during solar cycle 10, was the most powerful solar storm in recorded history, and the largest flare, observed by Richard Christopher Carrington, became known as the Carrington Super Flare.
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[edit] Sunspots
From August 28, 1859, until September 2, numerous sunspots and solar flares were observed on the sun. Just before noon on September 1, the British astronomer Richard Carrington observed the largest flare,[3] which caused a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) to travel directly toward Earth, taking 17 hours. This is remarkable because such a journey normally takes three to four days. This second CME moved so quickly because the first one had cleared the way of the ambient solar wind plasma.[3]
[edit] Carrington Super Flare
On 1 September 1859, Carrington and Richard Hodgson, another English amateur astronomer, independently made the first observations of a solar flare. Because of a simultaneous "crochet" observed in the Kew Observatory magnetometer record by Balfour Stewart and a geomagnetic storm observed the following day, Carrington suspected a solar-terrestrial connection. World wide reports on the effects of the geomagnetic storm of 1859 were compiled and published by Elias Loomis which support the observations of Carrington and Balfour Stewart.
[edit] Magnetic storm
On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm occurred. Aurorae were seen around the world, most notably over the Caribbean; also noteworthy were those over the Rocky Mountains that were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning.[3] People who happened to be awake in the northeastern US could read a newspaper by the aurora's light.[4]
Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed, in some cases even shocking telegraph operators.[5] Telegraph pylons threw sparks and telegraph paper spontaneously caught fire.[6] Some telegraph systems appeared to continue to send and receive messages despite having been disconnected from their power supplies.[7]
[edit] News coverage
On September 3, 1859, the Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser reported, "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."[8]
[edit] Similar events
Ice cores contain thin nitrate-rich layers that can be used to reconstruct a history of past events before reliable observations. These show evidence that events of this magnitude—as measured by high-energy proton radiation, not geomagnetic effect—occur approximately once per 500 years, with events at least one-fifth as large occurring several times per century.[9] Less severe storms have occurred in 1921 and 1960, when widespread radio disruption was reported.
[edit] See also
- A-index
- Bastille Day event
- Electromagnetic pulse
- Geomagnetic reversal
- K-index
- Magnetar
- March 1989 geomagnetic storm
- Solar cycle 10
[edit] References
- ^ "Timeline: The 1859 Solar Superstorm". Scientific American (www.sciam.com). July 29, 2008. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=timeline-the-1859-solar-superstorm. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ Philips, Tony (January 21, 2009). "Severe Space Weather--Social and Economic Impacts". NASA Science: Science News (science.nasa.gov). http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/21jan_severespaceweather.htm?list5029. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c Odenwald, Sten F.; Green, James L. (July 28, 2008). "Bracing the Satellite Infrastructure for a Solar Superstorm". Scientific American (www.sciam.com). http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=bracing-for-a-solar-superstorm. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ National Geographic, "What If the Biggest Solar Storm on Record Happened Today?," by Richard A. Lovett (March 2nd, 2011 - retrieved on September 5th, 2011).
- ^ Committee on the Societal and Economic Impacts of Severe Space Weather Events: A Workshop, National Research Council (2008). Severe Space Weather Events--Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report. National Academies Press. p. 13. ISBN 0309127696.
- ^ Odenwald, Sten F. (2002). The 23rd Cycle. Columbia University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0231120796.
- ^ Carlowicz, Michael J.; Lopez, Ramon E. (2002). Storms from the Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather. National Academies Press. p. 58. ISBN 0309076420.
- ^ "The Aurora Borealis". Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser (Baltimore, Maryland): p. 2; Column 2. September 3, 1859. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=tCoNjB6AT50C&dat=18590903&printsec=frontpage. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ McCracken, K. G.; Dreschhoff, G. A. M.; Zeller, E. J.; Smart, D. F.; Shea, M. A. (2001). "Solar cosmic ray events for the period 1561–1994 1. Identification in polar ice, 1561–1950". Journal of Geophysical Research 106 (A10): 21,585–21,598. Bibcode 2001JGR...10621585M. doi:10.1029/2000JA000237. http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2001/2000JA000237.shtml. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
[edit] Further reading
- Cliver, E. W.; Svalgaard, L. (2004). "The 1859 Solar–Terrestrial Disturbance and the Current Limits of Extreme Space Weather Activity". Solar Physics 224: 407. Bibcode 2004SoPh..224..407C. doi:10.1007/s11207-005-4980-z.
- Tsurutani, B. T.; Gonzalez, W. D.; Lakhina, G. S.; Alex, S. (2003). "The extreme magnetic storm of 1–2 September 1859". Journal of Geophysical Research 108. Bibcode 2003JGRA..108.1268T. doi:10.1029/2002JA009504.
- Issue 2 of Volume 38, Pages 115-388 (2006), of Advances in Space Research, an issue entitled "The Great Historical Geomagnetic Storm of 1859: A Modern Look"
- Robertclauer, C.; Siscoe, G. (2006). "The great historical geomagnetic storm of 1859: A modern look". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 117–118. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..117R. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.09.001.
- Cliver, E. (2006). "The 1859 space weather event: Then and now". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 119–129. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..119C. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.077.
- Green, J.; Boardsen, S. (2006). "Duration and extent of the great auroral storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 130–135. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..130G. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.08.054.
- Silverman, S. (2006). "Comparison of the aurora of September 1/2, 1859 with other great auroras". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 136–144. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..136S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.03.157.
- Green, J.; Boardsen, S.; Odenwald, S.; Humble, J.; Pazamickas, K. (2006). "Eyewitness reports of the great auroral storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 145–154. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..145G. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.12.021.
- Humble, J. (2006). "The solar events of August/September 1859 – Surviving Australian observations". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 155–158. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..155H. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.08.053.
- Boteler, D. (2006). "The super storms of August/September 1859 and their effects on the telegraph system". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 159–172. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..159B. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.01.013.
- Siscoe, G.; Crooker, N.; Clauer, C. (2006). "Dst of the Carrington storm of 1859". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 173–179. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..173S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.102.
- Nevanlinna, H. (2006). "A study on the great geomagnetic storm of 1859: Comparisons with other storms in the 19th century". Advances in Space Research 38: 180–187. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..180N. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.076.
- Kappenman, J. (2006). "Great geomagnetic storms and extreme impulsive geomagnetic field disturbance events – An analysis of observational evidence including the great storm of May 1921". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 188–199. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..188K. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.08.055.
- Silverman, S. (2006). "Low latitude auroras prior to 1200 C.E. and Ezekiel's vision". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 200–208. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..200S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.03.158.
- Shea, M.; Smart, D. (2006). "Geomagnetic cutoff rigidities and geomagnetic coordinates appropriate for the Carrington flare Epoch". Advances in Space Research 38: 209–14. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..209S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.03.156.
- Smart, D.; Shea, M.; McCracken, K. (2006). "The Carrington event: Possible solar proton intensity–time profile". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 215–225. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..215S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.04.116.
- Townsend, Lawrence W.; Stephens, Daniel L.; Hoff, Jennifer L.; Zapp, E. Neal; Moussa, Hanna M.; Miller, Thomas M.; Campbell, Christina E.; Nichols, Theodore F. (2006). "The Carrington event: Possible doses to crews in space from a comparable event". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 226–231. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..226T. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.01.111.
- Shea, M.; Smart, D.; McCracken, K.; Dreschhoff, G.; Spence, H. (2006). "Solar proton events for 450 years: The Carrington event in perspective". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 232–238. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..232S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.100.
- Burke, W.; Huang, C.; Rich, F. (2006). "Energetics of the April 2000 magnetic superstorm observed by DMSP". Advances in Space Research 38: 239–52. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..239B. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.085.
- Manchester IV, Ward B.; Ridley, Aaron J.; Gombosi, Tamas I.; De Zeeuw, Darren L. (2006). "Modeling the Sun-to-Earth propagation of a very fast CME". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 253–262. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..253M. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.09.044.
- Ridley, Aaron J.; De Zeeuw, Darren L.; Manchester IV, Ward B.; Hansen, Kenneth C. (2006). "The magnetospheric and ionospheric response to a very strong interplanetary shock and coronal mass ejection". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 263–272. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..263R. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.06.010.
- Li, X.; Temerin, M.; Tsurutani, B.; Alex, S. (2006). "Modeling of 1–2 September 1859 super magnetic storm". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 273–279. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..273L. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.06.070.
- Odenwald, S.; Green, J.; Taylor, W. (2006). "Forecasting the impact of an 1859-calibre superstorm on satellite resources". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 280–297. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..280O. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.10.046.
- Boteler, D. (2006). "Comment on time conventions in the recordings of 1859". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 301–303. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..301B. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.006.
- Wilson, L. (2006). "Excerpts from and Comments on the Wochenschrift für Astronomie, Meteorologie und Geographie, Neue Folge, zweiter Jahrgang (new series 2)". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 304–312. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..304W. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.004.
- Shea, M.; Smart, D. (2006). "Compendium of the eight articles on the "Carrington Event" attributed to or written by Elias Loomis in the American Journal of Science, 1859–1861". Advances in Space Research 38 (2): 313–385. Bibcode 2006AdSpR..38..313S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.07.005.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Solar activity |
- Carrington, R. C. (1859). "Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 20: 13–5. Bibcode 1859MNRAS..20...13C. http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1859MNRAS..20...13C.
- Bell, Trudy E.; Phillips, Tony (May 6, 2008). "A Super Solar Flare". Science@NASA (science.nasa.gov). http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/06may_carringtonflare.htm.
- Brooks, Michael (March 23, 2009). "Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe". New Scientist (www.newscientist.com). http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20127001.300-space-storm-alert-90-seconds-from-catastrophe.html?full=true. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- "The Largest Magnetic Storm on Record, The "Carrington Event" of August 27 to September 7, 1859". British Geological Survey (National Environment Research Council). 2011. http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/carrington.html. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- Clark, Stuart (2007). The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began. ISBN 978-0-691-12660-9. http://www.stuartclark.com/sunkings.html.
