A recent academic investigation has brought to light two previously unrecognized Arabic texts that may contain invaluable observational accounts of two of the most significant supernovae in recorded history: SN 1006 and SN 1181. These findings underscore the advanced astronomical tradition of the medieval Islamic world and provide crucial, independent confirmation of these spectacular celestial events.
The Phenomenon of SN 1006
The Supernova of 1006 (SN 1006), believed to be the brightest stellar event ever recorded, was visible between April and May of 1006 AD. Reaching an estimated magnitude of –7.5, the explosion was sixteen times brighter than Venus and was bright enough to cast shadows, even being visible in the daytime for some observers.
While this supernova was widely recorded by observers in China and Europe, the new study highlights a crucial report from the renowned Persian philosopher and physician, Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), in his seminal work, The Book of Healing.
Ibn Sīnā’s account, previously overlooked in astronomical literature, describes a transient celestial object that was stationary and/or tail-less ("a star among the stars"). He noted that it "remained for close to three months getting fainter and fainter until it disappeared" and that it "threw out sparks"—meaning it was highly scintillating and bright. This description is fully consistent with a supernova observation. Furthermore, the Egyptian astrologer Ali ibn Ridwan, writing from Cairo, also recorded the event, stating the "spectacle" was a large circular body, 2.5 to 3 times the size of Venus, and the sky "was shining because of its light."
Crucially, SN 1006 appeared in the southern constellation of Lupus and Hydra, meaning it was mainly visible to observers in the Southern Hemisphere and regions further south than most of Europe, making the Arabic and Persian records particularly important.
The Poetry of SN 1181
The study also focuses on the Supernova of 1181 (SN 1181), an event previously known almost exclusively from Chinese and Japanese records. It is associated with the stellar remnant known as 3C 58, or more recently, the unusual star Pa-30.
The new Arabic text is a poem written by Ibn Sanā' al-Mulk in praise of the great ruler Saladin. The dating of the poem suggests it was composed between December 1181 and May 1182, precisely the period when the supernova would have been visible.
The most striking line in the poem translates to: "I see how everything on the surface of the Earth has increased in number thanks to your justice; now even the stars (anjum) in the sky have increased in number. (The sky) adorned itself with a star (najm)..."
The context, location, and the use of the word najm (star) strongly suggest that the author was referring to SN 1181. The poem further places the object in or near the Arabic constellation al-Kaff al-Khabīb (The Henna Painted Hand), which corresponds to a region in the modern constellation Cassiopeia—the known location of SN 1181.
Historical Significance
These rediscovered Arabic records offer new and independent evidence that enriches the historical understanding of these two cosmic explosions. The detailed observations provided by scholars like Ibn Sīnā not only confirm the historical reality of the supernovae but also contribute to modern astrophysics by helping astronomers refine the timing, brightness, and location of these ancient events, aiding in the identification and study of their modern-day remnants.
Source:
The findings are based on a study, "New Arabic records from Cairo on supernovae 1181 and 1006," authored by J.G. Fischer, H. Halm, R. Neuhäuser, and D.L. Neuhäuser, which appeared in the arXiv preprint server and was covered by Phys.org. The paper presents the newly found Arabic observations that confirm these historical supernovae.
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