A Natural Event that Lights the Night

In the Book of Mormon, one of the signs given to the people of the Americas regarding the birth of the Savior was that there would be a day and a night and a day "which should be as one day as if there was no night" (3 Nephi 1:8).

What would cause the night sky to be bright enough that it would not get dark?

Some have suggested a supernova as the explanation for the bright new star. It would certainly add additional light at night, but this is most likely not why the night became light, at least in the Americas.

A supernova would also last for more than one night.

The other day I was listening, and watching, a presentation on solar events and what the speaker said struck me as the answer.

September 1, 1859, amateur astronomer Richard Carrington noted some enormous dark spots on the surface of the sun during his observations, along with “two patches of intensely bright and white light” that were erupting from them (https://www.history.com/news/a-perfect-solar-superstorm-the-1859-carrington-event).

What he saw was the coronal mass ejection, an extremely large one, that would hit the earth that night.

Because this was pre-electronics there wasn't significant damage. The telegraph had been in operation and CME fried some cables, caused sparks and fire, but outside of that the biggest effect was the auroras extended much further south.

What the presenter said, and which I looked up in a couple of references, was that there were reports in northeast U.S. that it was light enough for people to read the print of newspaper. Here are some reports, referenced by https://www.art-antiques-design.com/american/891-carrington-event-1859-and-its-effect-on-american-art

…There was another display of the Aurora last night so brilliant that at about one o'clock ordinary print could be read by light…Boston, Friday, September 2 [The New York Times, New York Herald, Washington Daily National Intelligencer, Friday, September 2, 3, 5, 1859].

…Large print could no doubt have been easily read, for we can testify that the time on the face of a watch was easily legible…[Washington Daily National Intelligencer, September 3, 1859].

…On Thursday night last about eleven o'clock our attention was attracted by the red appearance of the sky in the N. East, which we at first supposed was the reflection from a fire in that direction, but it began to spread on both sides and was pronounced by those who knew, to be the Aurora Borealis or Northern Light. About half past eleven it began to assume the appearance of day breaking and in an hour it was almost as light as day, the stars, which before shown brightly being invisible; at one o'clock the light began to fade and in an hour the heavens had assumed their usual appearance and the stars shown out bright as ever, and, turned in…[Rocky Mountain Gold Reporter, September 3, 1859].

…On the night of [September 1] we were high up on the Rocky Mountains sleeping in the open air. A little after midnight we were awakened by the auroral light, so bright that one could easily read common print. Some of the party insisted that it was daylight and began the preparation of breakfast. The light continued until morning, varying in intensity in different parts of the heavens, and slowly changing position. We can best describe it as the sky being overcast with very light cirrus clouds, wafted before a gentle breeze, and lighted up by an immense conflagration. It had rained for fifty hours before, only ceasing about twelve hours before the auroral light' [Rocky Mountain News, September 17, 1859]

…Singular as it may appear, a gentleman actually killed three birds with a gun yesterday morning about 1 o'clock, a circumstance which perhaps never had its like before. The birds were killed while the beautiful aurora borealis was at its height, and being a very early species --- larks --- were, no doubt, deceived by the bright appearance of everything, and came forth innocently, supposing it was day…[New Orleans Daily Picayune, September 9, 1859].

The Carrington Event is the largest CME on record, but there have been other historical reports of similar events.

It seems most probable that an extremely large CME, causing extended and very bright auroras during the night, is the likely cause for the day and night and day that "should be as one day as if there were no night"