The Red Cross in the Sky
In 774, an English chronicle recorded a red cross in the heavens after sunset. Over a thousand years later, tree rings revealed that something hit Earth that year.
What was reported
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a record kept by monks in England, says that in the year 774, 'a red crucifix appeared in the heavens after sunset'. Like many strange events in old chronicles, it was easy to dismiss.
In 2012, the Japanese scientist Fusa Miyake and her colleagues found that tree rings from the year 774 or 775 showed a sudden, very large spike in radioactive carbon, a sign that Earth had been hit by a huge burst of radiation from space.
Explanations offered
Most scientists now think the spike was caused by an extraordinarily powerful solar storm, much stronger than any seen in modern times. Some have suggested the red cross was a strong aurora seen that year, though this is debated, and other explanations, such as a halo, have been proposed.
- When
- 774 AD
- Where
- Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK
- Witnesses
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- Status
- Partly 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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