Carrington Event auroras Colombia newspapers

A 1859 storm brought auroras near the equator

During the Carrington Event, a powerful geomagnetic storm, auroras were reported from polar regions to near-equatorial Colombia. In the northeastern United States, they were bright enough for people to read newspapers by their light.

Potatoes helped Māori fight longer wars

Potatoes gave Māori communities a reliable food surplus, allowing them to sustain longer military campaigns. Along with muskets, the surplus helped fuel the Musket Wars, fought from 1801 to 1840. The wars involved over 600 battles and killed 30,000–40,000 Māori.

Some flowers show patterns humans cannot see

Some flowers have ultraviolet patterns that human eyes cannot see. Many insects can see them, and the patterns can guide pollinators toward the flower. To the plant, these invisible signals may matter more than the colors humans notice.

Like this? There’s a whole feed of it. Replace empty scrolling with things worth knowing.

Download Hence for free

Carrington Event auroras Colombia newspapers

A 1859 storm brought auroras near the equator

Keep exploring