Auroras are usually thought of as a polar phenomenon — brilliant displays of light painting the skies of Norway, Canada, or Alaska. But according to new scientific research, extreme solar activity in prehistoric times may have pushed auroras all the way to the equator, including over Southeast Asia.
Backed by evidence from tree rings, ice cores, and geomagnetic models, researchers now believe that rare but powerful space-weather events caused auroral displays to become visible in regions like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia — places that today would never see such lights.
Auroras in the Tropics? It’s Not Just Theory
Under normal conditions, auroras are confined to high latitudes. But in the past 15,000 years, Earth has been hit by several ultra-intense solar storms, now known as Miyake Events. These were so powerful that they left behind spikes in atmospheric carbon-14 (^14C), detectable in ancient tree rings around the world.
The most famous event, in 774 AD, released a solar burst far stronger than any in recorded history — likely pushing the auroral zone toward the equator. Similar events occurred in 993 AD, 660 BCE, and even as far back as 12,000 years ago. These would have created visible auroras across Southeast Asia, even in the absence of cold or polar-like conditions.
Earth’s Magnetic Field Also Played a Role
Auroras don’t just depend on the Sun. They also follow the lines of Earth’s magnetic field — and this magnetic field hasn’t always been stable.
Around 42,000 years ago, during the Laschamps Excursion, Earth’s magnetic field weakened dramatically and even temporarily reversed. For hundreds of years, the protective shield that usually directs solar particles toward the poles collapsed — allowing radiation to flood into the atmosphere from nearly every angle.
This would have pushed auroras far beyond their usual limits, and modeling suggests that they may have been visible globally, including in the skies of ancient Southeast Asia. Scientists call this the “Adams Event”, and link it to broader climate disruptions and even behavioral changes in early human societies.
What the Evidence Shows
While direct eyewitness accounts don’t exist for prehistoric Southeast Asia, the geological and geochemical record is clear:
- Spikes in carbon-14 and beryllium-10 isotopes appear worldwide at the same time, pointing to global solar events.
- Studies show these events would have pushed auroral visibility into low-latitude regions, including Southeast Asia.
- Ancient cave art in Sulawesi, dating to the same period as the Adams Event, may reflect cultural responses to these sky phenomena — though this remains speculative.
Even written records from ancient China and the Middle East describe strange lights in the sky during known Miyake Events, suggesting that low-latitude auroras were observed and remembered — just not always by name.
Could It Happen Again?
With Earth's magnetic field currently weakening, and solar activity on the rise, scientists are keeping a closer watch on space weather. While it's unlikely we'll see auroras over Jakarta or Manila anytime soon, what seemed impossible a century ago is now backed by data.
The skies over Southeast Asia may have been far more dramatic than we ever imagined. And thanks to new research, we're finally starting to understand just how often the Sun has rewritten Earth's story — including in the tropics.
References
- Cooper, A., Turney, C., Palmer, J., et al. (2021). A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago. Science, 371(6531), 811–818. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb8677
- Hayakawa, H., Ebihara, Y., Tamazawa, H., et al. (2022). Auroral records at low latitudes during the 10th century BCE. Advances in Space Research, 70(2), 674–682.
- Miyake, F., Nagaya, K., Masuda, K., & Nakamura, T. (2012). A signature of cosmic-ray increase in AD 774–775 from tree rings in Japan. Nature, 486, 240–242. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11123
- O’Hare, P. (2021). Auroras Blazed Near the Equator 41,000 Years Ago. LiveScience. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/auroras-near-equator-adams-event
- Usoskin, I. G., Kovaltsov, G. A., Cliver, E. W., et al. (2013). The AD775 cosmic event revisited: The Sun is to blame. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 552, L3. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321080
- Wacker, L., Friedrich, M., Büntgen, U., et al. (2023). Tree-ring radiocarbon evidence for an extreme solar particle event ~14,300 years ago. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 381(2245). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0255
- Wilson, A. (2023). Did cave art bloom during Earth’s magnetic chaos? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/cave-art-magnetic-field-and-aurora-links-153425
