HISTORICAL GALACTIC SUPERNOVAE

The following table lists known and probable supernovae that have occurred in our galaxy in the last two thousand years. It is very unlikely to be a complete list. Historical records cannot always allow precise identification of an object as a supernove (eg a possible guest star in Chinese records in 369 is not listed due to insufficient details). Over 250 galactic supernova remnants are known. Recent research also indicates a mean galactic rate of supernovae at one per 50 years. Most of these are not seen due to dust obscuration. Although supernova leave behind a remnant, only in two cases has identification been precise enough to allow inclusion in the table without an historical record. And both of these are within the last 350 years.

YEAR
AD
CONSTELLATION
name
VISIBILITY
period
BRIGHTNESS
magnitude
REMNANT
feature
DISTANCE
(l.y.)
Note
185Centaurus20 months -6?G315.4-2.375001
386Sagittarius3 months ?G11.2 -0.3?150002
393Scorpius8 months ?G348.7 +0.3??3
1006LupusFew years -9P 1459 -4170004
1054Taurus24 months -5Crab Nebula65005
1181Cassiopeia6 months +1?3C58105006
1572Cassiopeia18 months <-1 Tycho's SN 3C1080007
1604Ophiuchus12 months -3Kepler's SN95008
1667CassiopeiaNot seen >4?Cass-A110009
1870SagittariusNot seen >5?G1.9+0.32800010

Notes:

  1. Identified from one Chinese historical record. Probably near Alpha Centauri. Interpretation doubts indicate may have been visible for either 8 or 20 months. G320.4-1.2 has also been suggested as the remnant associated with this event.
  2. Only reported in Chinese records. Position very imprecise.
  3. Only reported by Chinese records. The duration of 8 months makes the identification with a supernova likely, but several supernova remnants around the reported asterism make identification difficult
  4. Reported in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and European documents. Probably the brightest supernova in the last 1000 years.
  5. The Crab Nebula is visible in optical, radio and X-ray telescopes. There is a pulsar near the centre of the nebula. Distance is obtained from radial and proper motions, and thus well defined.
  6. Only faint filaments are visible optically, but visible in radio and X-ray wavelengths. Central pulsar present.
  7. This famous supernovae is associated with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brae. Only faint optical filaments are now visible.
  8. This famous supernova is associated with the German scientist Johannes Kepler. Only faint optical filaments now visible.
  9. This supernova was not observed, probably due to obscuration by a dust cloud. Its date, which is not precise, was determined the expansion of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A which is a very strong radio source.
  10. This surmised supernova was defined by radio and X-ray observations. The date, which is only within +/- 30 years, was computed from the expansion observed between radio and X-ray observations in 1985 and 2007. Undoubtedly not observed because of nearness to galactic centre (dust).



PRE-HISTORICAL GALACTIC SUPERNOVAE

The next table lists supernovae that are believed to have occurred in our galaxy over four thousand years ago.

The evidence for these supernovae has come from remnants left behind that have been observed in radio and/or optical telescopes.

YEAR
BC
CONSTELLATION
name
REMNANT
feature
DISTANCE
(l.y.)
Note
2000Puppis Puppis A72001
8000Vela Vela X16002
20000Cygnus Cygnus Loop
Veil Nebula
15003

Notes:

  1. The Puppis supernova remnant overlaps the Vela remnant, as seen from Earth.
  2. Very close supernova. The remnant is a large complex visible in radio, optical and X-ray with central pulsar. Estimated to be around mag -12 (as bright as the full moon) on Earth.
  3. This is also another very close supernova.
References: