Aurora Candidates from the Chronicle of Q\={i}ng Dynasty in Several Degrees of Relevance

TL;DR

This study surveys historical Chinese records from 1559-1912 CE for sunspots and auroras, identifying 111 luminous night-sky events, with some likely being auroras, especially during the Maunder minimum, based on lunar and solar cycle analysis.

Contribution

It provides a systematic analysis of Chinese historical records for auroras and sunspots, including statistical assessment of their likelihood as auroras based on lunar phase and solar activity.

Findings

111 luminous night-sky events recorded, potential auroras identified.

14 records match with Western observations, increasing confidence.

Some aurora-like events occurred during the Maunder minimum.

Abstract

We present the result of the survey of sunspots and auroras in ${\it Q\bar{\imath}ngsh\check{\imath}ga\check{o}}$, the draft chronicle of ${\it Q\bar{\imath}ng}$ dynasty, for the period of 1559-1912 CE, as a sequel of the series of works surveying historical sunspot and aurora records, and providing online data to the scientific community regarding the attained results. In total of this ${\it Q\bar{\imath}ngsh\check{\imath}ga\check{o}}$ survey, we found 111 records of night-sky luminous events with the keywords such as vapor (${\it q\grave{\imath}}$), cloud (${\it y\acute{u}n}$), and light (${\it gu\bar{a}ng}$), which may indicate auroras as well as some other phenomena. Similarly keyword survey for sunspots were done, but no sunspot record was found. In comparison with the aurora records in the western world, we found 14 of the 111 records have a corresponding record of simultaneous observation in the western world and hence are very likely to be aurora. In order to investigate the likeliness of the rest of the record being aurora, we calculated the lunar age and the phase of a solar cycle for each record. After these calculations, notable fraction of these records clustered near the full moon were found statistically doubtful in considerations with atmospheric optics, meanwhile a few records near the new moon could be more likely interpreted as auroras including three records during the Maunder minimum.