How far south/north could the Auroras be seen if the atmospheric conditions were perfect and the earth was hit with the perfect solar storm and would there be other effects? We have a pretty good template for this one, actually, because the Earth was hit with a very powerful solar storm in 1859. Even with a minor solar storm, if you’re far enough North or South (in other words, if you’re close enough to magnetic north and magnetic south on our planet), it’s not too hard to spot the aurora on a clear night. As you crank up the strength of the solar storm, the auroras become visible to more and more of the planet. The aurora would be the least of our concerns if another Carrington-sized solar storm hit us.

Source: Forbes January 14, 2017 18:11 UTC