Kepler's New Star
In 1604, a new star appeared beside the planets, brighter than any other star in the sky. It was the last star in our galaxy seen to explode.
What was reported
On 9 October 1604, observers in Europe noticed a brilliant new star in the constellation Ophiuchus, near Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, which were gathered together that autumn. Astronomers in Korea and China recorded it too. It stayed visible for more than a year.
Johannes Kepler, imperial astronomer in Prague, studied it closely and wrote a book about it, De Stella Nova. Coming just after the planets met, many people took it as a sign of great events.
Explanations offered
It was a supernova, the explosion of a star about 20,000 light-years away. It's the most recent supernova in our own galaxy known to have been seen with the naked eye; its glowing remains can still be seen with telescopes.
- When
- October 1604
- Where
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Witnesses
- Astronomers across Europe and Asia
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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