Scientist uncovers description of supernova from year 1006

From Asia to North America, people living in the year 1006 documented what seems to be a supernova in the sky above them happening right before their eyes.

Now, in a report being published by Astronomical Notes, an analysis of works by a Persian scientist named Ibn Sina who witnessed the phenomenon has provided new details, including how it changed color and “threw out sparks”.

According to the study, Ibn Sina watched as the supernova began as a dim greenish yellow. It sparkled significantly at its maximum brightness, and then became cream-colored before eventually disappearing.

Ancient supernova reports informing modern scientists

Learning how the supernova transformed over time, with respect to color and brightness, can assist modern astrophysicists in understanding this style of supernova, a scientifically valuable event known as type Ia.

This kind of stellar explosion takes place in systems where multiple stars orbit one another. If one of those stars changes into a small but potent white dwarf, it can draw gas from a nearby associate. When sufficient matter accumulates, the overstuffed star deflates and explodes. Because the resulting flare nearly always has a known brightness, astronomers today use type Ias strewn across the cosmos to trace movement and distance in the universe.

Astronomers have said SN 1006 was a form of a type Ia brought on by two white dwarfs. As these stars danced around one another, they lost energy as gravitational waves and ultimately collided, making an epic blast even more brilliant than usual. Comprehending these supercharged supernovae is essential for astronomers who use the explosions as cosmic measurement resources.

Brad Schaefer, a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University, told National Geographic astronomers should be careful about reading too much into Ibn Sina’s records. He noted that the supernova was near the horizon when he saw it, and therefore the colors he saw mighthave been caused by the atmosphere. Schaefer added that different observers might see varying degrees of brightness.

“So for example, one person compared it to the brightness of Mars, another one to Venus, and another person to the brightness of the quarter moon,” he said.

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Image credit: NASA

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