The 1859 Space Weather Event: Then and Now

Abstract

The 1859 space weather event, combining the first solar flare ever reported with arguably the largest geomagnetic storm ever observed, provided a dramatic opening to a new area of Sun-Earth studies. Here I describe solar science at the time of the discovery of the flare, recount the observation, and trace the developments that led to the correct interpretation of the 1859 solar-errestrial event by Bartels in 1937. A "fast forward" takes us to the present time when advances in modeling and increasing concern with space weather have prompted renewed interest in a classic observation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA471584

Entities

People

  • Edward W. Cliver

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Cosmic Rays
  • Geomagnetism
  • Magnetic Disturbances
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Phenomena
  • Magnetic Properties
  • Magnetic Storms
  • Observation
  • Observatories
  • Solar Activity
  • Solar Disturbances
  • Solar Flares
  • Solar Wind
  • Space Weather
  • Sun
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space