In October 1408, in the Ming dynasty China, the astronomers of the court recorded a strange celestial incident: a bright yellow object, the sky, precious in the sky, shining for ten nights. It was described as “big as a cup” and “pure yellow color, smooth and bright” – a vision is so remarkable that it inspired formal documentation by the royal authorities. For centuries, this 1408 “guest star” has been a historical curiosity that has no clear identity. But thanks to a new discovery, astronomers feel that they have finally detected the source.
In a recent paper Posted For the preprint server Arxiv, researchers led by Boshun Yang, a astronomer at the University of Science and Technology, China, reported an unseen report by Hu Guang, in charge of congratulating monuments and in -charge of admirable poems, addressed to the emperor, as described in the paper. This official document of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau offers a full -authentic account compared to previous details of the event and, significantly, allows researchers to control the possibility of a fake or incorrect record.
The Memorial described the object stable in the southern Niandao asteroid – in that part of the sky now the constellation is connected to the signus and vulpekula – and appears for more than 10 days. Unlike comets or meteors, which wave throughout the sky, this object maintained and maintained its brightness, suggesting that it was a star.
In particular, the incident mentioned by Hu Guang has characteristics of a Nova, or a violent death of a star that gradually provokes in a sudden glow before dimming. The team explained the characteristics of the “plateau” in 1408 Nova, meaning that its light remained unusually stable.
Interestingly, the team had to focus on the microscopic politics ripened in record language. Ancient Chinese astronomers were careful how they described astronomical events while reporting to the emperor. To ensure that his approach remained Rosie, it was important that astronomical events broadcast good vibes. He used to avoid the inauspicious language in Nova’s reports, described as “yellow” and “shiny”, as contrary to the contrast “spikes” or other details, which could make inauspicious sound, according to, according to, according to, Universe Today,
By combining this new historical document with modern astronomy physics, Yang’s team argues that the 1408 guest star is almost certainly a Nova – adding it to the growing list of ancient Chinese records that confirm modern astronomical comments.
Like the famous 1054 supernova, which made the crab nebula-like, was reported by the Chinese, and now clearly imaged by observatories like Web Space Telescope- It shows centuries-old observations show how relatively distant events in human history only have to be blinds in cosmic time. In addition, it provides a foundation for modern astronomy, which can first use accounts as a background – and even a driver – for new discoveries.
