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Comment by b800h | Hacker News Reader

If these Miyake events were so spectacular, why do they not appear in the historical record? I appreciate that 774 was in the "dark ages" but something as impressive as the Carrington event would appear in some chronicles, surely?

EDIT: Sorry, checked Wikipedia:

"Annus Domini (the year of the Lord) 774. This year the Northumbrians banished their king, Alred, from York at Easter-tide; and chose Ethelred, the son of Mull, for their lord, who reigned four winters. This year also appeared in the heavens a red crucifix, after sunset; the Mercians and the men of Kent fought at Otford; and wonderful serpents were seen in the land of the South-Saxons. — Anglo-Saxon Chronicle[9]"

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Some random Australian gold prospector wrote about his experience (quoting Wikipedia):

Lights of every imaginable color were issuing from the southern heavens, one color fading away only to give place to another if possible more beautiful than the last, the streams mounting to the zenith, but always becoming a rich purple when reaching there, and always curling round, leaving a clear strip of sky, which may be described as four fingers held at arm's length.

The northern side from the zenith was also illuminated with beautiful colors, always curling round at the zenith, but were considered to be merely a reproduction of the southern display, as all colors south and north always corresponded.

It was a sight never to be forgotten, and was considered at the time to be the greatest aurora recorded [...].

The rationalist and pantheist saw nature in her most exquisite robes, recognising, the divine immanence, immutable law, cause, and effect. The superstitious and the fanatical had dire forebodings, and thought it a foreshadowing of Armageddon and final dissolution.

Maybe it's just survivor bias but: crikey! People could really write back then!

But this was not in reference to the 774AD event surely! Do you have a citation for the above quote?

Edit: you probably meant the Carrington event, I am starting my next coffee now.

If I spoke the language and or wanted to look into it, I'd recommend Chinese or Japanese historical records. They tend to have very long historical weather/solar observations. Possibly India too, but they may be too far south to see the effects.

Oh, and I misread your comment! In fairness I was still working on my first cup

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/774%E2%80%93775_carbon-14_spik...

It would be the "dark ages" in Europe, but not in China. It was also during a time of scholarship and observation in the Islamic world. If it was observed, I would have expected it to be mentioned by Islamic astronomers. Perhaps it was.

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