Techie Corner – 2021 – Post #2 – The Carrington Event

Techie Corner – 2021 – Post #2 – The Carrington Event

What is the Carrington Event?

My two cents, but please share yours:

The Carrington Event occurred on September 1, 1859. Astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson each independently observed a solar flare that was tied to a huge coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME hit the Earth, severely damaging the telegraph systems of the day, injuring telegraph operators, and, in some cases, causing fires. Auroras appeared across most of the Earth, some nearly as bright as daylight.

Another Carrington-scale CME, on July 23, 2012, missed the Earth by a little over a week. If it had hit, the damage around the world from the electromagnetic pulse would likely have been in the trillions.

Going forward, it will always be good to keep paper copies of important documents like bank statements, to keep ample food and water supplies to last through prolonged power outages, and to have a wood-burning fireplace with plenty of wood on hand during the colder months.

For further information on this subject, the following link is a good place to start.

Carrington Event – Wikipedia

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