orange glowning orb/sky

early 1980s: my mother knew I was interested in the astronomy and the night sky, so reported what she had seen overnight:  she awoke during the night because the sky as she could see it from her bed was glowing orange.  She got up and looked out the window of the front door and saw a large glowing ball, about the size of the sun, and the entire sky was likewise orange.  
She went back to bed!  I asked her why she hadn't awakened me, and she simply said, "I don't know, I just went back to bed!"  
This fits with other reports I've heard from people who say they seem somehow "numbed" to alerting anyone.  It's like nothing exciting has happened and they just carry on, go back to sleep, whatever.
Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate.  PD