Ancient Text Reveals Earliest Records of Aurora All

KOMPAS.com – Researchers have found the oldest known reference to aurora. The historical record of that celestial event is explained in a text China ancient dating from around the 10th century BC.

Findings published in the journal Advances in Space Research this is as quoted from IndependentFriday (15/4/2022) is even said to be about 3 centuries older than similar historical records.

Aurora are streaks of reddish or greenish light in the sky that usually occur near the north or south magnetic poles.

aurora phenomenon it arises due to the interaction of charged particles from the sun with atoms in the upper atmosphere.

In the new study, scientists including Hisashi Hayakawa, of Nagoya University in Japananalyzes the Bamboo Annals ((Zhushu Jinian in Mandarin), which chronicles Chinese history up to the 4th century BC.

The text contains several times about unusual observations in the sky. In the notes, the researchers then examined the mention of the ‘five-colored light’ seen in the northern part of the sky on the night towards the end of the reign of King Zhao of the Zhou dynasty.

Researchers call pieces ancient text about aurora it was probably written around 977 BC or 957 BC.

Read also: 41,000 Years Ago, Aurora Appears Near Earth’s Equator

Researchers also found ancient textual records of ‘five-colored light’ consistent with large geomagnetic storms, a phenomenon known to cause auroras.

And at that time, Earth’s north magnetic pole was tilted to the Eurasian side by about 15 degrees so it was closer to central China than it is today.

So the researchers believe this aurora could be spotted by observers in central China at a time of significant magnetic disturbance and make it the world’s earliest known aurora record.

Meanwhile, historical records of the aurora have also been found on cuneiform tablets made by Assyrian astronomers in the period 679-655 BC.

In addition, the astronomical diary of the king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II from 567 BC.

Furthermore, the new study can aid in long-term modeling of the variability of space weather and solar activity over timescales ranging from decades to thousands of years.

Understanding these fluctuations, documented through ancient texts contains the earliest record of the aurora This, in turn, can also help people prepare for technological infrastructure disruptions that may occur due to solar storms.

Read also: Know the Types of Aurora, Borealis and Australis

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