* Astronomy

Black day of 1780 caused by distant wildfires, MU experts say
At noon, it was black as night. It was May 19, 1780 and some people in New England thought judgment day was at hand. Accounts of that day, which became known as New Englands Dark Day, include mentions of midday meals by candlelight, night birds coming out to sing, flowers folding their petals, and strange behaviour from animals. The mystery of this day has been solved by researchers at the University of Missouri who say evidence from tree rings reveals massive wildfires as the likely cause, one of several theories proposed after the event, but dismissed as simple and absurd.

The study "Fire Scars Reveal Source of New England's 1780 Dark Day" was published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.

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