sixpenceee:

Seen from Earth on April 30–May 1, 1006, “a brilliant star gleamed forth,” as described by Benedictine monks in Italy.

That star is known as SN 1006 today. The explosion was the result of a cosmic merger between two white dwarfs the size of the sun. It’s no wonder the explosion lit up Earth’s skies for months.

Egyptian physician and astronomer Ali ibn Ridwan calculated the supernova’s brightness to be three times more than that of Venus.

Modern astronomers believe Native Americans documented the cosmic event with carvings in a rock found in Arizona. (Source)

(Source: sixpenceee, via sixpenceee)


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