Richard Carrington (astronomer)

Richard Carrington was a 19th-century British astronomer renowned for his detailed observations of the Sun. In 1859, he independently discovered sunspots and observed a massive solar flare—a sudden release of energy from the Sun’s surface—that produced intense solar radiation and a geomagnetic storm on Earth. This event, known as the Carrington Event, was the first recorded observation of a solar flare and demonstrated how solar activity can impact Earth's magnetic environment. His work significantly advanced our understanding of solar phenomena and their effects on our planet.