Galaxies on Instagram: "Back in 1859, Earth was hit by the most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history — the Carrington Event. ⁠ The event was caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a massive burst of solar plasma — which reached Earth in just 17.6 hours. That’s incredibly fast, considering CMEs usually take a couple of days! When the Carrington Event hit, the results were extraordinary. Auroras were so bright that people could read a newspaper by their light.⁠ Telegraph systems faile