[Mardur]

Originally Posted by guineapig [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I've always been kind of fascinated about the Nuremberg event back in 1561:

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The main reason is because, unlike those paintings that have nothing to do with UFO's supposedly featuring them, in this woodcut the artist is actually attempting to show what hundreds of people witnessed.

(And yes, it looks like a really bad acid trip, but if mass ergot poisoning is the only explanation detractors can give then I ask you how a drug/poison can give the same exact delusion to countless people all over a city.)

A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion (παρήλιον) from παρά (beside) + ἥλιος (sun), "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun or a phantom sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun. Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sundogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low. Sun dogs might explain a remarkable phenomenon observed in Germany: on April 4, 1561, the skies over Nuremberg, Germany were filled with a multitude of celestial objects that were observed by many people in the city.

Also I find it funny that Wehrmacht's image contradicts itself: claiming that VV Cephei and VY Canis Majoris are both the largest known star (panels 17 and 19). They're very close and it's difficult to get an accurate measurement (VY Canis Majoris is generally considered larger, once thought to be larger than physically possible but has been "sized down"), so no big deal. But kinda lulz.