In 1859, a solar storm turned telegraph lines into strangely active machines.
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The Carrington Event was a powerful geomagnetic storm that disrupted telegraph networks and lit skies with auroras. It is one of the best-known examples of space weather reaching into human technology.
The event shows how a less electrified world still felt the effects of a major solar storm. A similar event today could affect satellites, power grids, and communications, which is why the Carrington Event is often used as a reminder that space weather is not just a skywatching curiosity.