R.C. Carrington and the 1859 Space Weather Event
Abstract
R.C. Carrington (1826-1875) is remembered in this session as the co-discoverer of the first solar flare ever reported - on 1 September 1859. The ensuing space weather event remains a "worst case scenario" for solar-terrestrial interaction. Carrington was one of the most accomplished solar astronomers of the 19th century and is credited with the discovery of differential rotation and the variation of sunspot latitude over the solar cycle. I will review Carrington's life, which ended soon and sadly after a brief but brilliant career, and the scientific times in which he worked. I will assess the contemporary impact of Carrington's flare observation and will briefly recount how the meaning of the tantalizing clue presented by this event gradually came to light.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AGUSMSH51B..01C
- Keywords:
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- 1739 Solar/planetary relationships;
- 2788 Storms and substorms;
- 7519 Flares