Ngasekupheleni kwehlobo lika-1859, isibhakabhaka emhlabeni wonke sakhanya ngokukhazimulayo kokukhanya. Cishe isonto lonke, abantu babuthana futhi bagqolozele phezulu, beshaqekile futhi bethuswa yilokho ababekubona. Abanye babekholelwa ukuthi kuwuphawu lokuphela kwezwe, kuyilapho abanye bebabaza ubuhle be-aurora borealis eyayibonakala inwebeka kuwo wonke umhlaba.
Lo mcimbi, manje owaziwa ngokuthi i-Carrington Event, uqanjwe ngesazi sezinkanyezi sase-Brithane u-Richard Carrington. Ngo-September 1, 1859, uCarrington wayesendaweni yakhe yangasese lapho ebona iziqephu ezimbili zokukhanya okumhlophe okukhulu zivela ebusweni belanga. Wenza umdwebo ukuze abhale phansi lokho akubonile, kamuva owawuzothunyelwa eNhlanganweni Yasebukhosini Yezinkanyezi njengengxenye yombiko ophelele.
UCarrington wayengazi, wayesanda kubona okubili ochungechungeni lwama-flare elanga - izenzakalo ezinobudlova ebusweni belanga ezikhulula amandla amakhulu nezinhlayiya. Lezi zinhlayiya zabe seziqondiswe eMhlabeni, zabangela ukuvezwa okumangalisayo kwezibani esibhakabhakeni. Lesi simo saziwa ngokuthi i-Aurora Borealis noma i-Northern Lights.
Kodwa nakuba isibhakabhaka sasikhanyiswe ngemibukiso emangalisayo, kwakukhona nemiphumela ethile eyayingalindelekile. Abasebenzi be-telegraph emhlabeni jikelele bahlangabezane nobunzima obuyinqaba ngemishini yabo - abanye bathola ukushaqeka kukagesi nokusha lapho bethinta okhiye bocingo lwabo, kuyilapho abanye bekwazi ukudlulisa imiyalezo ngamabhethri abo enqanyuliwe.
Amaphephandaba ngalesi sikhathi ayegcwele imibiko yokukhanya esibhakabhakeni kanye nokuphazamiseka kokusebenza kocingo. Abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kuwuphawu lwe-apocalypse, futhi abanye baze bethuka kangangokuthi bazinikele ezindaweni zokukhosela ezihlanya.
Kodwa okwenza lesi senzakalo sahluke ngempela kwaba isikhathi saso. Ngo-1859, ubuchwepheshe bukagesi babuseyisisekelo - izinhlelo ze-telegraph ziwukuphela kokusetshenziswa kukagesi okwandile. Nokho, namuhla, ingqalasizinda yethu yesimanje incike kakhulu kugesi. Ngakho-ke, bekungenzekani uma umcimbi wezinga laseCarrington ubungenzeka esikhathini sethu samanje?
Ngokungafani no-1859, cishe singaba nesixwayiso ngaphambi kokuba isiphepho se-geomagnetic sihlasele uMhlaba. Izinhlelo seziyasebenza ukuze zinikeze okungenani usuku olulodwa olugcwele lwesikhathi sokulungiselela. Kulesi simo esingcono kakhulu, impendulo esheshayo nehlelekile izobandakanya ukuthatha noma imaphi amasistimu angase alinyazwe umcimbi ungaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi ngesikhathi sawo.
Kodwa-ke, uma singazilungiselelanga futhi umcimbi osezingeni laseCarrington ubuzokwenzeka namuhla, imiphumela ingaba yinhlekelele. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi umonakalo odalwe yilo mcimbi ungase ube nomthelela wezomnotho wezigidigidi zamadola futhi ushiye izigidi zingenawo amandla isikhathi eside.
I-Carrington Event isebenza njengesikhumbuzo sobuthakathaka bomphakathi wethu wesimanje kanye nokubaluleka kokulungela izinhlekelele zemvelo. Njengoba ubuchwepheshe buqhubeka buthuthuka futhi nokuthembela kwethu kugesi kukhula, kubalulekile ukuthi sibe nezivikelo esinazo ukuze sisivikele eziphephweni zelanga nezinye izinhlekelele ezingase zibe khona.
