An Optical Atmospheric Phenomenon Observed in 1670 over the City of Astrakhan Was Not a Mid-Latitude Auroraстатья
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Аннотация:It has recently been claimed (Zolotova and Ponyavin in 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, was 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.