When Our Star Erupts - The 1859 Solar Storm And More
Short Wave
English - May 05, 2022 21:36 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MB - ★★★★★ - 5.7K ratingsLife Sciences Science Astronomy Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
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In 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history. The storm, triggered by a giant solar flare, sent brilliant auroral displays across the globe and causing electrical sparking and fires in telegraph stations.
Short Wave's scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber talks to solar physicist Dr. Samaiyah Farid about what's now known as the Carrington event and about what may happen the next time a massive solar storm hits Earth.
You can check out NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory for pictures of our Sun in real-time: go.nasa.gov/3LOWV1u
Curious about other parts of our solar system? Email the show at [email protected].