Japanese researchers look at 800-year-old books and trees for signs of extreme solar events

Scientists Used Medieval Poems and Trees to Uncover a 13th-Century Solar Surge

Older civilizations were as mesmerized as we were when beautiful northern lights lit up the skies.

Medieval aurora poetry provided clues to historic solar storms

Medieval poets, including a Japanese noble, provided key descriptions to track down solar events

Japanese researchers look at 800-year-old books and trees for signs of extreme solar events

Japan has a wealth of old literature that provides scientists with clues on past climate events.

Medieval Japanese poetry and buried trees help elucidate volatile space weather

On Earth, extreme solar activity often appears as beautiful, benign auroras. But venturing beyond the safety of the Earth's magnetic field, one faces the full brunt of a temperamental star that can suddenly erupt with flares and coronal mass ejections.