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A powerful solar flare caused a coronal mass ejection that struck Earth a few hours later, generating the most intense geomagnetic storm ever recorded and causing bright aurorae visible in the middle latitudes.
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Carrington Event
Geomagnetic storm in 1859
The Carrington Event was the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history, peaking on 1–2 September 1859 during solar cycle 10. It created strong auroral displays that were reported globally and caused sparking and even fires in telegraph stations. The geomagnetic storm…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Coronal mass ejection
Ejecta from the Sun's corona
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a significant ejection of plasma mass from the Sun's corona into the heliosphere. CMEs are often associated with solar flares and other forms of solar activity, but a broadly accepted theoretical understanding of these relationships has not been…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Geomagnetic storm
Disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere
A geomagnetic storm, also known as a magnetic storm, is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere that is driven by interactions between the magnetosphere and large-scale transient plasma and magnetic field structures that originate on or near the Sun.Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Aurora
Atmospheric effect caused by the solar wind
An aurora is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. The plural form is pl. aurorae or auroras, and they are commonly known as the northern lights or southern lights. Auroras display dynamic…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Middle latitudes
Spatial region on Earth
The middle latitudes, also called the mid-latitudes or moderate latitudes, are spatial regions on either hemisphere of Earth, located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle (66°33′50.5″) in the northern hemisphere and between the Tropic of Capricorn (-23°26′09.5″)…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)