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An Optical Atmospheric Phenomenon Observed in 1670 over the City of Astrakhan Was Not a Mid-Latitude Aurora

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Abstract

It has recently been claimed (Zolotova and Ponyavin Solar Phys., 291, 2869, 2016; ZP16 henceforth) that a mid-latitude optical phenomenon, which took place over the city of Astrakhan in July 1670, according to Russian chronicles, were a strong aurora borealis. If this were true, it would imply a very strong or even severe geomagnetic storm during the quietest part of the Maunder minimum. However, as we argue in this article, this conclusion is erroneous and caused by a misinterpretation of the chronicle record. As a result of a thorough analysis of the chronicle text, we show that the described phenomenon occurred during the daylight period of the day (“the last morning hour”), in the south (“towards noon”), and its description does not match that of an aurora. The date of the event was also interpreted incorrectly. We conclude that this phenomenon was not a mid-latitude aurora, but an atmospheric phenomenon, the so-called sundog (or parhelion), which is a particular type of solar halo. Accordingly, the claim of a strong mid-latitude aurora during the deep Maunder Minimum is not correct and should be dismissed.

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Notes

  1. See reference R1 in the electronic supplementary material (ESM) for the original source.

  2. See reference R2 in the ESM for the original source.

  3. The dates are given according to the Julian calendar (JD) used during that time. The difference between the JD and the GD (Gregorian date) was 10 days in 1760, so that 20 June 1760 in JD corresponds to 30 June 1760 in GD.

  4. The feast of Peter and Paul lasted from 04 June until 11 July 1670.

  5. See reference R3 in the ESM for the original source.

  6. The month is a typo, it should be June, see Section 2.2.

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Acknowledgements

IGU and GAK acknowledge support by the Academy of Finland to the ReSoLVE Center of Excellence (project no. 272157). JMV was supported by the Junta de Extremadura (Research Group Grants GR15137) and by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (AYA2014-57556-P).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Climate Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    I. G. Usoskin

  2. Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    I. G. Usoskin

  3. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

    G. A. Kovaltsov

  4. Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University, Magnitogorsk, Russia

    L. N. Mishina

  5. Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    D. D. Sokoloff

  6. Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Extremadura, Mérida, Spain

    J. Vaquero

  7. Instituto Universitario de Investigación del Agua, Cambio Climático y Sostenibilidad (IACYS), Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain

    J. Vaquero

Authors
  1. I. G. Usoskin
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  2. G. A. Kovaltsov
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  3. L. N. Mishina
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  4. D. D. Sokoloff
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  5. J. Vaquero
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Correspondence to I. G. Usoskin.

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Usoskin, I.G., Kovaltsov, G.A., Mishina, L.N. et al. An Optical Atmospheric Phenomenon Observed in 1670 over the City of Astrakhan Was Not a Mid-Latitude Aurora. Sol Phys 292, 15 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-016-1035-6

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