1566 Basel celestial phenomenon

Record summary

What happened Samuel Coccius published a broadsheet describing dark and red spheres near the Sun on several mornings, with the objects appearing to struggle and some turning red before fading. It is often paired with the Nuremberg sheet as evidence of aerial battles. Its original framing was explicitly religious and admonitory. Evidence A contemporary printed broadsheet and woodcut survive. Explanations considered Solar halos, clouds crossing a bright Sun, astronomical objects and symbolic interpretation may account for the report. What remains uncertain The stylised print cannot establish the objects’ physical form or distance, and it compresses observations from several days. Primary source 1566 Basel celestial phenomenon — Wikipedia