In 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history. For two days, giant solar flares erupted on the Sun's surface, sending brilliant auroral displays across the globe and causing electrical sparking and fires in telegraph stations. Short Wave's scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber talks to solar physicist Dr. Samaiyah Farid about what's now known as the Carrington event and about what may happen the next time a massive solar storm hits Earth. You can check out NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory for pictures of our Sun in real-time: go.nasa.gov/3LOWV1uCurious about other parts of our solar system? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.