Top 3 Most Powerful Solar Storms in History

A ranking of the most intense recorded solar magnetic disturbances that impacted Earth's geomagnetic environment and technology.

The top 3

1. The Carrington Event (1859): The strongest geomagnetic storm on record, which caused global telegraph systems to fail and sparked aurorae visible in tropical latitudes.
2. The 1921 Railroad Storm: A massive solar storm that induced high voltages in telegraph and railroad switching equipment, causing widespread fires and communication blackouts.
3. The 1989 Quebec Blackout: A powerful coronal mass ejection that collapsed the Hydro-Québec power grid, leaving six million people without electricity for nine hours.

Sources

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

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