How the solar storm that caused the Northern Lights wreaked havoc on Earth

Much planning for severe space weather is based on the Carrington Event of 1859, the most powerful geomagnetic storm on record.

This creates rapid changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, causing long wires to generate electricity.

Telegraph operators were electrocuted, sparks appeared on the poles, and some conversations between operators continued even when the batteries were disconnected.

All of this happened a long time ago, but with today’s advanced technology, the impact of a similar event would be even more devastating.

Satellites could be severely affected. Strong solar storms can cause the Earth’s atmosphere to expand into space, causing more drag on satellites. This could cause them to slow down enough for some objects to deorbit and fall back to Earth.

This isn’t just a theoretical risk – a February 2022 solar storm Resulting in the loss of 38 satellites, external.

Changes in satellite orbits can also increase the risk of collisions, and space weather can wreak havoc on sensitive electronic equipment on satellites, causing malfunctions.

A loss or disruption to your GPS system for many days can severely impact radio communications – so your car’s satnav could stop working, causing traffic jams in cities.