Eclipses present the opportunity to look more closely at our nearest star, Sol. What historic solar events have people observed on the Sun? In 1859, a very lucky astronomer saw the most powerful solar storm on record and its profound effect on the Earth.

In this Interpreting Eclipses webinar with Shauna Edson, Astronomy Educator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, we explore what really happened during the "Carrington Event" and how it changed humanity's understanding of the Sun-Earth connection. With the Sun approaching solar maximum in the next few years, our understanding of space weather will help us to identify actual threats to power infrastructure on Earth, better protect astronauts in space, and dispel media hype surrounding solar activity while engaging audiences in eclipse events.

Resources Recommended by Shauna Edson:

• Book: The Sun Kings by Stuart Clark
• NASA space weather FAQ
• NASA SDO dashboard: past 48 hours
• Spaceweather.com: daily reports, forecasts, and amazing photos
• Great video about the solar cycle