NEW DATA ON THE GIANT SEPTEMBER 1859 MAGNETIC STORM: AN ANALYSIS OF ITALIAN AND RUSSIAN HISTORIC OBSERVATIONS

• Main Authors: Ptitisyna N. G, Tyasto M. I, ALTAMORE, Aldo
• Other Authors: Ptitisyna N., G, Tyasto M., I, Altamore, Aldo
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Astrofisica; Storia Astronomia; aurora borealis
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11590/186295

On 1 Sep 1859 near the center of the solar disk the first-ever registered flare was detected in enhanced continuum emission in optical wavelengths (white light) by Carrington and Hodson. Moreover, it is the first-ever registered solar-geomagnetic event, which marked the beginning of space weather science. The Carrington flare produced a coronal mass ejection which after 17 hours triggered a giant geomagnetic storm. We present an analysis of this event performed on the basis of new historic geomagnetic data that we found in Italy (Rome) and geomagnetic data registered in Russia (St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Barnaul, Nerchinsk). The value of the extreme magnetic disturbance registered on September 2, 1859 in Rome (~3000 nT) is the largest among the registered by other observatories. These observations are important in studying the Carrington solar-terrestrial event, since magnetic readings in all other world-wide observatories, except Colaba, went off scale. Variations of H-component registered at the Russian and Italian observatories are in very good accordance. In contrast to Colaba observations disturbances registered in all considered stations, including Rome, are positive, which is typical for auroral oval zone. During the severe magnetic disturbance, which is associated with the Carrington flare, its current system showed the character of a strongly asymmetric circuit that connected the partial ring current in the equatorial atmosphere to the current jet in the auroral zone, which was much shifted to the south relatively to it‟s usual location. It is supported by observation of an outstanding event in Rome - a spectacular aurora borealis in forms of streamers and columns of light. INTRODUCTION