Salamanca, Spain — 2 November 1730
Globe of fire with beams
Torres himself was a witness to the incident. He wrote that at 11:30 P.M. he saw, from Salamanca, “an amazing Globe of fire,” as large as a building. On each side of the globe were two luminous beams or columns which seemed to rise and fall, “becoming brighter as they moved.” The columns changed from green to red and the light from the phenomenon illuminated the surrounding area. At two o’clock in the morning the columns joined together but the spectacle did not disappear until 4:30 A.M. Though often cited as a UFO, many consider the event to have been an aurora borealis.
Source: Diego de Torres Villaroel, Juicio, i Prognostics del Globo, i Tres Columnas de Fuego (Madrid: Manuel Caballero, 1730). Case: W279