ANOTHER QUARANTINE PROJECT: SUPERNOVA OF 1054 AND THE EUROPEAN REACTION--OR LACK THEREOF
For those of you who study medieval history, you might find this interesting. On the Fourth of July, in the year 1054, Chinese astronomers observed a supernova which became progressively brighter over the next two years, so much so, that it could even be seen in the daytime. It wasn't as bright as a full moon, but it was 4 times brighter than Venus. You couldn't miss it.
The official name, as used by astronomers is SN1054. Although the stellar explosion was observed in 1054, the actual event occurred about 6500 years earlier in about 5500 B.C. The star is 6500 light years distant from us.
The remnants from the supernova are still visible today and are commonly studied by both amateur and professional astronomers. The debris from the explosion is known today as the Crab Nebula, located in the constellation Taurus. The core of the exploding star formed a pulsar which is known s the Crab Pulsar. More on pulsars at another time. Through a telescope the thing resembles a crab. (see below).
The phenomenon was well documented by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers of the era. Even the Puebloan Indians of New Mexico recorded it on pictographs on rocks. Curiously, however, if you rely on written evidence, nobody in Europe noticed it. There are some doubtful European references recorded 400 years later, but no contemporary documentation. It would have been impossible to not notice it unless everyone lived underground.
The supernova event occurred hundreds of years prior to Copernicus, who suffered for his radical theories that the Earth revolves around the Sun rather than the other way around. In Europe, astronomy was closely aligned with astrology, and for over 1000 years, nobody was willing to stick his neck out to report an unusual occurrence in the heavens which would upset establishment doctrine.
The prevalent attitude in Europe was move along, there's nothing to see here! Considering how bright it was, visible in the daytime for 23 days, it would be hard to miss.
Earlier, an even brighter supernova, 7100 light years distant appeared in 1006 which was at least 3 times brighter than even the 1054 supernova. It was the brightest recorded star ever to appear in the night sky. That one was recorded in Europe, in only a single source, the annals of the monastery of St. Gail in Switzerland. A famous Egyptian astronomer measured the brightness of that one as one quarter that of a full moon.
According to Sir Robert Wilson's book, Astronomy through the Ages, probably the main reason for the lack of interest in Europe was the lack of encouragement, or even active discouragement by the Church "which believed that truth and spiritual guidance could come only from Holy Scripture and that natural knowledge and understanding was best revealed by ancient writings." Establishment thinking at that time was that the Earth was flat. By contrast, in Islamic and Chinese cultures astronomical/astrological observations were encouraged and supported by the government.
Eastern cultures recorded many such astronomical events going back thousands of years. Chinese astronomers recorded at least 20 such events over a span of 2000 years. You can't predict when a "guest star" will appear, but it is certainly a memorable experience.
The bottom line here is that if a European astronomer were to write or say something not in compliance with Church doctrine it might get him killed. Maybe that is why that period is commonly referred to as the "Dark Ages".
The official name, as used by astronomers is SN1054. Although the stellar explosion was observed in 1054, the actual event occurred about 6500 years earlier in about 5500 B.C. The star is 6500 light years distant from us.
The remnants from the supernova are still visible today and are commonly studied by both amateur and professional astronomers. The debris from the explosion is known today as the Crab Nebula, located in the constellation Taurus. The core of the exploding star formed a pulsar which is known s the Crab Pulsar. More on pulsars at another time. Through a telescope the thing resembles a crab. (see below).
The phenomenon was well documented by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers of the era. Even the Puebloan Indians of New Mexico recorded it on pictographs on rocks. Curiously, however, if you rely on written evidence, nobody in Europe noticed it. There are some doubtful European references recorded 400 years later, but no contemporary documentation. It would have been impossible to not notice it unless everyone lived underground.
The supernova event occurred hundreds of years prior to Copernicus, who suffered for his radical theories that the Earth revolves around the Sun rather than the other way around. In Europe, astronomy was closely aligned with astrology, and for over 1000 years, nobody was willing to stick his neck out to report an unusual occurrence in the heavens which would upset establishment doctrine.
The prevalent attitude in Europe was move along, there's nothing to see here! Considering how bright it was, visible in the daytime for 23 days, it would be hard to miss.
Earlier, an even brighter supernova, 7100 light years distant appeared in 1006 which was at least 3 times brighter than even the 1054 supernova. It was the brightest recorded star ever to appear in the night sky. That one was recorded in Europe, in only a single source, the annals of the monastery of St. Gail in Switzerland. A famous Egyptian astronomer measured the brightness of that one as one quarter that of a full moon.
According to Sir Robert Wilson's book, Astronomy through the Ages, probably the main reason for the lack of interest in Europe was the lack of encouragement, or even active discouragement by the Church "which believed that truth and spiritual guidance could come only from Holy Scripture and that natural knowledge and understanding was best revealed by ancient writings." Establishment thinking at that time was that the Earth was flat. By contrast, in Islamic and Chinese cultures astronomical/astrological observations were encouraged and supported by the government.
Eastern cultures recorded many such astronomical events going back thousands of years. Chinese astronomers recorded at least 20 such events over a span of 2000 years. You can't predict when a "guest star" will appear, but it is certainly a memorable experience.
The bottom line here is that if a European astronomer were to write or say something not in compliance with Church doctrine it might get him killed. Maybe that is why that period is commonly referred to as the "Dark Ages".
posted by kensuskinreport at
7:13 AM
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