Earth, Planets and Space

Table 2 Auroral records

From: Records of sunspot and aurora during CE 960–1279 in the Chinese chronicle of the Sòng dynasty

Year	Month	Date	Color	Description	Direction	Length	Counts	Place	Notes	Moon phase
965	8	10	W	V	w	50 chǐ		Kāifēng		0.36
968	11	2	W	V	wn	20 chǐ	3	Kāifēng		0.31
979	5	9	W	V	wn			Kāifēng		0.38
979	5	19	W	V	wn			Kāifēng		0.71
986	2	22	R	V	n			Kāifēng	Until morning	0.34
986	2		R	V				Kāifēng
987	2	10	W	V				Kāifēng		0.30
988	12		R	V	wn	Height 2 chǐ		Kāifēng
996	2	26	BW	V	w		8	Kāifēng		0.17
1001	4	20	W	V	All		2	Kāifēng		0.81
1001	8	20	W	V				Kāifēng		0.97
1003	5	13	W	V	e-w			Kāifēng		0.33
1003	6	24	W	V				Kāifēng		0.73
1003	7	14	R	V				Kāifēng		0.42
1003	7	19	W	V			Some	Kāifēng		0.59
1003	8	15	W	V	ws			Kāifēng		0.50
1004	4		W-BW	V			10~	Kāifēng
1004	6		W-BW	V			10~	Kāifēng
1004	6	12	W	V		7 chǐ	Some	Kāifēng		0.74
1004	8	17	Y	V		5 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.97
1005	2	28	YW	V				Kāifēng	Near the moon	0.54
1005	3	21	W	V	n		5	Kāifēng		0.30
1005	11	5	W	V	e-w			Kāifēng		0.04
1006	4	14	R	V	n			Kāifēng		0.46
1006	4	14	W	V				Kāifēng	Near the moon	0.46
1006	5		Y	V				Kāifēng	Near the moon
1007	4	12	W	V	e-w			Kāifēng		0.75
1007	4	13	W	V	s	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.79
1007	4	23	W	V	n	10 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.13
1007	5	13	W	V		3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.82
1007	12	18	R	V	m	7 chǐ		Kāifēng		0.23
1008	2	10	Y	V				Kāifēng		0.03
1008	2	24	W	V	e-w		2	Kāifēng		0.48
1008	8		W	CV	wn		30~	Kāifēng
1009	9	27	Y	V	es			Kāifēng		0.21
1011	1	25	BR	V				Kāifēng		0.64
1012	2	28	W	V	n	5 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.13
1014	6			V				Kāifēng
1019	5	8	Y	V				Kāifēng		0.04
1026	10		R	V	w			Kāifēng	Sunset
1028	5	16	BW	C	n-ws	Some		Kāifēng		0.66
1032	11	7	YW	V			5	Kāifēng		0.06
1033	1	28	BW	V	wn			Kāifēng		0.85
1034	9	24	BYW	V		7 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.31
1041	9	1	W	V	e	10 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.10
1041	9	24	BW	C	wn			Kāifēng		0.89
1042	8	31	W	V-C	n			Kāifēng		0.46
1042	12		BW	C	s			Kāifēng
1043	3	13	W	V	m-ws	20 zhàng		Kāifēng		1.00
1043	5	17	W	V	wn-es		2	Kāifēng		0.21
1043	9	23	W	V	n			Kāifēng		0.58
1043	10	22	W	V	m	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.58
1044	6		BW	V			10~	Kāifēng
1044	10	16		V	en	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.77
1045	4	3	Y	V	e			Kāifēng		0.45
1048			W	V	n			Kāifēng
1052	12	13	W	V	n	5 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.66
1065	5	24	W	V	wn-es			Kāifēng		0.57
1065	5	25	W	V	w			Kāifēng		0.60
1066	7	19	BW	C	e	1 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.82
1066	11		Y	V				Kāifēng
1067	3	2	BW	C	s	3 zhàng	2	Kāifēng		0.53
1067	4		BW	C	ws	3 zhàng	2	Kāifēng
1067	7	30	W	C	en	5 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.57
1068	2	17	BW	C	ws	4 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.38
1068	12		R	V	wn			Kāifēng
1069	5	1	BW	C	es	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.28
1069	8	9	BW	C	en	1 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.66
1069	12		R	V	wn			Kāifēng	Every night this month
1072	7	27	W	C	s			Kāifēng		0.33
1074	4	13	BW-W	C-V	ws	2 zhàng		Kāifēng	Sunset	0.48
1074	5	3	BW	C	n	52 chǐ		Kāifēng		0.18
1074	5	13	BW	C	wn	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.51
1074	7	4	BW	C	s	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.27
1074	7	16	BW	C	s	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.67
1074	7	17	BW	C	e-s	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.70
1074	7	22	BW	C	ws	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.87
1074	8	9	BW	C	e			Kāifēng		0.47
1075	7	20	BW	C	en	4 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.17
1076	7	10	W	V	es			Kāifēng		0.23
1077	7	19	BW	C	en	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.91
1079	5	13	W	C	s	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.34
1079	5	16	BW	C	s	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.45
1082	5	21	BW	C	n	2 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.38
1088	7	24	R-W	V	en			Kāifēng		0.14
1088	8	12	R-W	V	en			Kāifēng		0.78
1088	8	13	W	V	en			Kāifēng		0.81
1088	9	23	R-W	V	n		Some	Kāifēng		0.20
1099	10	15	R-W	V	n	5 chǐ	10	Kāifēng		0.97
1101	1	31	R-W-Bk	V	en-w		4~	Kāifēng		0.02
1103	1	8	W	V	w			Kāifēng	Sunset	0.94
1103	6	16	BW	V	es	3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.34
1111	12	17	BW	V				Kāifēng		0.55
1115	4	26	W-Ra	C	n			Kāifēng		0.02
1117	6	29	R-W	C-V	en			Kāifēng		0.92
1119	5	11	R	V			10~	Kāifēng		0.01
1119	6	10	R	V	wn			Kāifēng		0.03
1119	7	15	R	V	n			Kāifēng		0.21
1119	8	21	R-W	C-V	n		30~	Kāifēng	Covered half sky	0.47
1120	3	28	R	C	en-wn			Kāifēng		0.79
1121	11	2	BW	V		3 zhàng		Kāifēng		0.82
1122	10	23	R	V	w			Kāifēng	Sunset	0.73
1125	5	15	R	C				Kāifēng		0.37
1126	2	4	RW	V	w			Kāifēng		0.34
1126	10	3	R	V	e			Kāifēng	Sunrise	0.53
1126	11	19	R	V	w			Kāifēng	Sunset	0.11
1126	12	21	R	V				Kāifēng		0.22
1127	1	11	W	V				Kāifēng		0.90
1127	1		W	V				Kāifēng
1127	2	21	R	L	wn			Kāifēng		0.27
1127	4	5	W	V	ws-en			Kāifēng		0.74
1127	5		W	V	n			Kāifēng
1127	9	20	R	V	en			Kāifēng		0.42
1127	9	22	R	V	en			Kāifēng		0.49
1127	9	27	R	V	en			Kāifēng	At dusk	0.65
1130	6		W	V	n		10~	Línān
1130	6		R	L	en-es			Dòngtíng
1130	6		R-W	V-C	wn		10~	Línān
1130	6	18	R-W	C-V	n-es			Línān		0.37
1130	7	5	W	V	es			Línān		0.95
1137	1	31	R	V	en			Línān		0.29
1137	2	14	R	V	n			Línān		0.76
1137	2	20	R	V	en			Línān		0.96
1137	3	4	R	V	en			Línān		0.42
1137	10		R	V				Línān
1137	12	29	R	V-C	s-en			Línān	From the evening	0.56
1138	10	6	R	V				Línān		0.03
1148	8	17	R	V	wn			Línān		0.06
1157	3		R	V				Línān
1157	4	30	R	V				Línān		0.66
1157	8	15	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.30
1157	11	13	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.32
1160	2		R	V	en			Línān
1160	4	1	R	V	en			Línān		0.77
1160	12	18	W	V				Línān		0.65
1160	12	19	W	V	ws			Línān		0.68
1161	1	2	W	V				Línān		0.08
1161	12	21	W	V	e-w			Línān		0.12
1161	12	22	W	V				Línān		0.15
1164	1	21	W	V	ws			Línān		0.86
1164	2	22	W	V				Línān		0.95
1164	11	24	R	C	w			Línān	Sunset	0.28
1165	3	4	W	V	wn			Línān		0.71
1165	5	1	W	V	e-w			Línān		0.66
1165	5	11	W	V				Línān		0.99
1165	5	30	BW	V	wn-en			Línān		0.65
1165	6	3	W	V	n			Línān		0.77
1165	6	7	W	V				Línān		0.91
1165	9	12	R	V	m			Línān	From sunset to evening	0.18
1165	11	18	BW	CV	s			Línān		0.43
1165	12		R	C	w			Línān
1165	12	25	W	V	e-w			Línān		0.75
1166	1		W	V	e-w			Línān
1166	12	24	W	V				Línān		0.02
1167	1		W	V				Línān
1170	12	3	R	V	e			Línān	Sunrise	0.81
1170	12	10	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.05
1171	9	1	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	1.00
1171	11	3	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.13
1171	11	4	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.16
1171	11	17	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.61
1172	10	28	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.33
1172	10	29	R	V	e			Línān	Sunrise	0.36
1176	9	29	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.82
1176	9	30	R	V	e			Línān	Sunrise	0.85
1183	2	16	W	V	ws	Width 6 zhàng		Línān	From northern horizon to southern horizon	0.75
1187	12	17	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.54
1187	12	18	R	V	e			Línān	Sunrise	0.57
1188	9	29	RY	V	s			Línān		0.24
1189	1	15	R	V	en			Línān	Sunrise	0.90
1192	2		R	V				Línān
1193	12	5	R-W	V-C				Línān		0.35
1193	12	6	R-W	V-C				Línān		0.38
1194	7	2	W	V				Línān		0.44
1194	7	9	W	V				Línān		0.68
1198	9	17	W	V				Línān		0.49
1199	3	9	W	V	en			Línān		0.42
1199	8	26	W	V	en			Línān		0.11
1199	9	7	W	V				Línān		0.51
1200	11		R	V				Línān
1204	3	29	R	V				Línān		0.90
1204	3		R-W	C-V	en			Línān	8 days
1204	12	5	W	V			Some	Línān		0.43
1204	12	16	W	V				Línān		0.79
1213	12	2	R	V	e			Línān	Sunrise	0.63
1214	1	7	R	V	w			Línān	Sunset	0.82
1240	3	16	W	V				Línān		0.73
1240	5	13	W	V				Línān		0.69
1242	3	3	W	V				Línān		0.02
1242	5	3	W	V				Línān		0.07
1250	12	10	Rb	V				Línān		0.53
1262	8	16	W	V				Línān		0.01
1273			W	V				Xiāngyáng

Length: chǐ (1 chǐ = 30.72 cm), zhàng (1 zhàng = 10 chǐ) (Tonami et al. 2006). Location of the observatories: Kāifēng (34.80 N, 114.30 E), Línān (30.25 N, 120.17 E), Dòngtíng (29.32 N, 112.95 E), Xiāngyáng (32.02 N, 112.16 E)
Color of auroral candidates: W white, R red, B blue, Y yellow, Bk black, R-W red and white, RW red white, BW blue white, Ra rainbow; types of recorded phenomena: V vapor (qì), C cloud (yún), L light (guāng); direction: e east, w west, s south, n north, m middle, en northeast; also, those abbreviations can be combined, for example wn-es from northwest to southeast

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