In 1859, a solar storm now called the Carrington Event induced currents so strong in North American telegraph lines that operators disconnected their batteries and kept sending messages on the geomagn
The 1859 Carrington Event was a massive solar storm that induced electrical currents in telegraph lines, allowing them to operate without batteries. It remains one of the most significant geomagnetic events in recorded history.
Why it matters
Understanding historical solar storms helps scientists assess the vulnerability of modern global infrastructure to similar space weather events.
A geomagnetic storm so powerful it turned the planet itself into a telegraph battery—and nearly nobody noticed.
On the morning of 2 September 1859, telegraph operators along the Boston-to-Portland line unplugged their batteries, watched the acid-slick terminals go dark, and kept sending messages anyway. The wires were carrying a current the sky was pushing through them. For roughly two hours, the storm itself ran the telegraph.
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