The Brightest Star Ever Recorded
In 1006 a new star appeared in the southern sky, bright enough to light the ground at night.
What was reported
In late April or early May 1006, observers around the world recorded a new star low in the southern sky, in the constellation Lupus. The Egyptian astronomer Ali ibn Ridwan, in Cairo, wrote that it was two and a half to three times the size of Venus and lit the ground like a quarter Moon.
Chinese, Japanese, Arab and European records also describe it. It stayed visible for months.
Explanations offered
It was a supernova, a white dwarf star exploding about 7,000 light years away, and it's thought to be the brightest star seen in recorded history. Its remnant, called SN 1006, was identified by radio astronomers in 1965 and is still studied today.
- When
- May 1006
- Where
- Cairo, Egypt
- Witnesses
- Astronomers in Egypt, China, Japan, the Arab world and Europe
- 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.