The Red Sky over Kyoto
In 1770, the night sky over Kyoto filled with red streamers, like the tail of a pheasant. Someone drew it, and scientists still study the picture.
What was reported
On the night of 17 September 1770, people in Kyoto and across Japan and China saw the northern sky glow red, with long, bright red rays stretching upwards. In Japan, where auroras are almost never seen, it was alarming and recorded in many diaries.
One record includes a coloured drawing of the sky, with red rays fanning out above a dark hill, compared to a pheasant's tail. In 2017, Japanese scientists used it and other records to study the event.
Explanations offered
It was an aurora, caused by an extremely strong solar storm, perhaps as powerful as the famous Carrington Event of 1859. Auroras usually only reach far-northern places, but very strong storms push them much further south. Studying such old records helps scientists understand how strong solar storms can get.
- When
- 17 September 1770
- Where
- Kyoto, Japan
- Witnesses
- The people of Kyoto, recorded in a diary and a drawing
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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