On September 1, 1859, British astronomer Richard Carrington observed the largest solar flare ever recorded. The resulting plasma cloud reached Earth in just 18 hours, creating dazzling auroras visible even at tropical latitudes like Cuba, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. These lights were so bright that newspapers could be read at night. Telegraph systems worldwide were severely disrupted, with sparks shocking operators, setting paper on fire, and enabling message transmission even without power. A similar solar storm today could cause billions of dollars in damage to satellites, power grids, and communication systems. The Carrington Event remains the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history.
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