The Carrington Event: History's Greatest Solar Storm Quiz

What was the Carrington Event?

• A tsunami in 1859

• A large solar storm that took place in 1859

• A major earthquake in 1859

• A volcanic eruption in 1859

Who was Richard Carrington?

• An astronomer who observed the CME

• A politician from England

• A famous artist from the 19th century

• A scientist who discovered the sunspots

What caused the Carrington Event?

• A volcanic eruption on the sun

• A lunar eclipse

• A powerful coronal mass ejection (CME)

• A meteorite impact on Earth

How long did the coronal mass ejection (CME) take to reach Earth?

• 5 days

• 17.6 hours

• 1 hour

• 2 weeks

What impact did the Carrington Event have on telegraph communications?

• It improved telegraph communication

• It caused telegraph systems to work faster

• It caused telegraph systems to fail around the world

• It had no impact on telegraph systems

Where were the northern lights (aurora borealis) witnessed during the Carrington Event?

• As far south as Cuba

• As far east as Japan

• As far north as Canada

• As far west as Australia

What would happen if a storm like the Carrington Event happened today?

• It could cause an internet apocalypse

• It would affect satellite communication

• Dirupt electrical power distribution at ground level.

• It would have no impact on technology

How often do solar storms like the Carrington Event occur?

• Once every 1000 years

• Once every 100 years

• Once every 50 years

• Once every 500 years

What is the role of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in monitoring solar storms?

• To monitor the effects of solar storms on Mars

• To analyze sunspot regions daily and assess the threats

• To predict the exact date of the next solar storm

• To study the impact of solar storms on the moon

What is the Heliophysics Systems Observatory (HSO) designed to do?

• To study the impact of solar storms on human health

• To monitor the weather on Earth

• To study the sun and its influence on the solar system

• To track the movement of asteroids