Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy plans need good space weather data
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In stronger events, such as the March 1989 geomagnetic storm which brought down the electric power system of Quebec for at least nine hours, several transformers in northeastern United States were damaged and anomalies in power systems were reported as far south as California. Aurora sightings were also reported in Florida.
Several satellites, including the GOES meteorological satellite, lost control or data transmission for several hours. Radio communications were also affected in many places around the world. Another strong event in October 2003 even damaged transformers in South Africa, which has a relatively low geomagnetic latitude.
The most extreme space weather event observed to date, known as the Carrington Event, took place in September 1859. Even though electricity was not widely in use at the time, sparks were induced along telegraph wires, rendering the telegraph networks in North America, Europe and even parts of Australia and Asia inoperable for days. Auroras were spotted as far south as Panama.
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