THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over a century-and-a-half-old data from an observatory in Kerala may hold the key to the world to understand and predict deadly solar storms.
Magnetic records from the 19th century found at the Trivandrum Observatory, now functioning as Astronomical Observatory under the University of Kerala, have added fresh insight into one of Earth’s most powerful solar storms - the 1859 Carrington Event.
The data revealed that a significant geomagnetic disturbance had hit the Earth just days before the deadly super storm of September 2, 1859. Although the previous disturbance on August 28, 1859 was observed and recorded by scientists the world over, it was largely regarded as minor and insignificant. However, researchers at Kerala University have now revealed through a study that this earlier disturbance “primed” the Earth’s magnetic field and set the stage for the dramatic impact of the Carrington Event just days later.
The Carrington Event of 1859 was the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history, It was caused by a massive coronal mass ejection from the sun, reaching the Earth in just 17.6 hours. The event caused disruptions to telegraph systems, including sparking and fires in some stations. The Trivandrum Observatory that recorded the event was set up in 1837 by Swathi Thirunal, the then ruler of erstwhile Travancore. The facility was handed over to Kerala University in 1975.
The KU research team, led by Prof R Jayakrishnan who is also the Observatory’s director, used the data and reconstructed how the previous disturbance amplified the storm that followed. They proved it by combining historical magnetic records from the Trivandrum Observatory with geomagnetic modelling.
“Unlike other data available, the Trivandrum Observatory recordings were taken at intervals of 2 minutes, 3 minutes and 5 minutes during both the storms. No other observatory in the world could achieve it then. The Colaba observatory in Bombay had managed to record the data only at 5 minute intervals,” Jayakrishnan told TNIE.
The findings have been published by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) in the international peer reviewed journal, ‘Advances in Space Research’. “During those times we did not rely on satellites or power grid. However, if a similar storm strikes today, it could cripple GPS, internet, mobile networks, and even electricity,” Jayakrishnan said.
“With this discovery, Trivandrum Observatory’s forgotten data has found relevance in today’s efforts to understand and predict solar storms,” the researcher said.