NASA Details the Super Sun Flare of 1859

Posted by Chris Jensen | May. 07, 2008 08:13AM PST | 260 views | 0 comments

FILED UNDER: News. Science.

On September 1, 1859, the Sun let loose a Coronal Mass Ejection of impressive size. How impressive?

Just before dawn the next day, skies all over planet Earth erupted in red, green, and purple auroras so brilliant that newspapers could be read as easily as in daylight. Indeed, stunning auroras pulsated even at near tropical latitudes over Cuba, the Bahamas, Jamaica, El Salvador, and Hawaii.

Even more disconcerting, telegraph systems worldwide went haywire. Spark discharges shocked telegraph operators and set the telegraph paper on fire. Even when telegraphers disconnected the batteries powering the lines, aurora-induced electric currents in the wires still allowed messages to be transmitted.

(Source: NASA)

Tags sunspots, cme, sun, nasa