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arXiv · 1611.05197

Earliest Datable Records of Aurora-like Phenomena in the Astronomical Diaries from Babylonia

Hisashi Hayakawa·Yasuyuki Mitsuma·Yusuke Ebihara·Akito Davis Kawamura·Hiroko Miyahara·Harufumi Tamazawa·Hiroaki Isobe
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Abstract

The Astronomical Diaries from Babylonia (ADB) are an excellent source of information of natural phenomena, including astronomical ones, in pre-Christ era because it contains the record of highly continuous and systematic observations. In this article we present results of a survey of aurora-like phenomena in ADB, spanning from BCE 652 to BCE 61. We have found 9 records of aurora-like phenomena. Philological and scientific examinations suggest 5 of them can be considered as likely candidate for aurora observations. They provide unique information about the solar and aurora activities in the first millennium BCE.

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Hisashi Hayakawa, Yasuyuki Mitsuma, Yusuke Ebihara, Akito Davis Kawamura, Hiroko Miyahara, Harufumi Tamazawa, Hiroaki Isobe. 2016-11-16. Earliest Datable Records of Aurora-like Phenomena in the Astronomical Diaries from Babylonia. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-016-0571-5

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