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Are the Northern Lights dangerous? - Fabio Pacucci

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TEDEd Animation

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In September 1859, miners following the Colorado gold rush woke up to another sunny day. Or so they thought. To their surprise, they soon discovered it was actually 1am and the sky wasn’t lit by the sun, but rather by brilliant drapes of light. The blazing glow was a solar storm— the largest in recorded history. So what exactly is a solar storm? Fabio Paccuci explains this astrophysical phenomena.

What is the danger posed to humanity by solar storms? How can they affect our activities and why do they become more dangerous as we advance technologically?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Fabio Pacucci
  • Director Nick Hilditch
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Music Bob Bradley, Audio Network
  • Sound Designer Nick Hilditch
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler

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