Historical Aurorae and More Recent Events

Abstract

It is extremely unfortunate that the spread of artificial light pollution, accompanying population growth, has decreased mankind’s general awareness of astronomical phenomena, including the aurora. Few city dwellers have ever seen the Milky Way, for example, and in many locations in the civilized world, only the very brightest stars and planets may be seen. In built-up areas, all but the very brightest aurorae will be swamped by the all-pervasive background sky glow. This was not always the case, however, and historical records show that the aurora was a phenomenon well-known in antiquity when skies were darker.