In The Lecture Hall: The Apocalyptic Carrington Event

"How are the club activities going?" the scholar asked as he picked up an HDMI cable atop the wooden cabinet near the right wall.

"It's going great!" I replied. "We've held multiple quizzes and rapid-fire challenges. I've actually learned a lot of science from these events."

"Good!" said the professor, as he watched the scholar switch on the projector. "The club is doing what it set out to do."

"That's true!"

The professor sat in his high-backed chair beside the wooden center table. The light from the ceiling glazed over his polished black shoes. They were complimented by a pair of dark trousers.

The scholar sat on the three-legged metallic stool as he connected the HDMI cable to the professor's laptop. His crisp white shirt creased near his elbows as he quickly pressed a few keys.

"So, what are discussing today?" the professor asked. He looked at me with focused eyes.

"Well," I started, "Recently, I have seen a lot of social media posts talking about a Carrington-like event happening again in a few years. What exactly is this event?"

The scholar took a remote from the table and pressed a button. The projector that hung from the ceiling whirred into life, its internal fan humming softly. The hall dimmed slightly as the bright beam of light shot out. It cast a clear, sharp image onto the large screen. It was nailed above the six whiteboards in front of me.

"That is a very interesting topic to talk about!" the scholar said eagerly. The laptop screen mirrored onto the projector.

"Agreed," the professor nodded.

Question - What was the apocalyptic Carrington Event?

"Before talking about the event," the scholar began,"we need to understand a few facts about the Sun first." He crossed his legs, clad in slim-fit dark denim jeans, and looked at me.

The professor turned his laptop towards him. The bright light from the screen helped his navy blue shirt stand out from his charcoal grey blazer.

"The surface of the Sun, or any star for that matter," the scholar continued,"is active. It's like the surface of boiling water.

Multiple physical processes play out there. Energy is bubbling up from the core, reaching the surface. Magnetic field lines are twisting and turning. Additionally, the Sun's rotation keeps this stage fluid and in motion."

I rapidly nodded my head.

"The cumulative effect of this is a boisterous and violent environment on the surface."

I leaned forward on the desk. The scholar's hands became more animated with each word he spoke.

"Occasionally, a large amount of mass and energy is expelled into space at high velocities."

"What kind of mass?" I interrupted.

"Good that you asked. It's magnetized plasma. A batch of electrons and protons, embedded in a magnetic field, are shot out at incredibly high speeds. They are called Coronal Mass Ejections - CMEs for short."

"Here's an image of a CME," the professor said as the screen turned orange. The mouse cursor circled a region on the top right corner, away from the main body of the Sun.

"Yes," the scholar continued. "These particles can travel toward the planet and interact with them. The Earth's magnetic field blocks the majority of them. A few of them, however, do make it into our atmosphere."

"That's how we get the Northern and the Southern lights!" I chimed in.

"Exactly! Now, when the energy of these particles are moderate, we get our pretty auroras. But," he raised an eyebrow as he stressed that word, "if the particles are too energetic, they can harm us. In fact, today's technologically advanced civilization is at the Sun's mercy."

"How so?"

"Well, the exact details are a little complicated. In fact, CMEs and their effects are an active field of research."

"Why don't we spend the next few sessions discussing about this topic itself?" I asked, with a wide grin.

The professor chuckled. "I like your enthusiasm. Sure, we can spend some time studying the Sun and its surface."

"Great! Alright, how can such events be disastrous?"

"Because these particles carry electric charges," the scholar replied. "Remember, an electric current is basically moving electric charges. An electrical appliance can be severely damaged by the supply of a large current.

These energetic particles from the Sun carry the same danger."

"Oh, now I understand. They can easily destroy our satellites and...," I paused as I came to a sudden realization. "We are entirely dependent on electrical appliances, aren't we?" I felt my stomach churn slightly.

"Exactly. In fact, that's what happened in September of 1859. A highly energetic CME traveled to Earth in only 17.6 hours.

You know that auroras are mostly visible in polar regions. But, on that day, auroras were visible in tropical regions. Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed. A few operators were even electrocuted."

"Damn," I sucked in quick breath. "And who's Carrington?"

"Richard C Carrington was studying sunspots when he was blinded by a sudden flash of light," the professor replied. "After the electrical appliances went haywire, he concluded that it was because of the flare ejected from the Sun. That has helped us increase our understanding of the Sun's effect on our atmosphere."

"And we named the event after him to honor him."

The professor nodded.

"I just realized," I said as I got up from the bench, "even though I see the Sun every day, I don't know much about it."

"None of us do," the professor chuckled. "But we're always learning more."

"I can't wait to learn all about it!" I nearly shouted, clenching my fists in excitement.

"That's the spirit," the scholar said with a smile. "Let's dive deeper into this fascinating topic in the upcoming sessions."

Hardik Medhi

Stay Curious

For more captivating science stories, follow me on?Medium!