Supernova of 1054 (SN 1054)
Supernova de 1054 (estrella invitada)
- Date
- 1054 · confidence high
- Place
- Kaifeng, China
- Credited to
- Astronomers of the Song court (Yang Weide)
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
Chinese astronomers recorded a 'guest star' in Taurus visible in daylight for 23 days. Its remnant is the Crab Nebula, the first object linked to a historical supernova.
Also recorded by Arab observers (Ibn Butlan); possible pictographs in the American Southwest.
What it led to
- Identification of the Crab Nebula as a remnant (1928-1942)
- Astrophysics of supernovae and pulsars
- Proof that the sky changes