Scientists re-examined a reported 1841 railway disruption in Exeter caused by geomagnetic disturbance, concluding the date was likely a typo and the incident occurred several years later. The study demonstrates that space weather has affected electrical technologies since the 1840s, long before the famous 1859 Carrington Event, which remains the most powerful geomagnetic storm on record.
Starlink's 11,000+ satellites orbiting Earth experience atmospheric drag that varies with solar activity, making them effective detectors of upper atmosphere density. By tracking the orbital decay rate (sink rate) of these satellites using publicly available tracking data, researchers can monitor space weather and geomagnetic storms, with sink rates ranging from 19.7 to 127.6 meters per day in 2026 depending on atmospheric conditions.