The Chinese chronicle Hou Hanshu records that in December 185 AD, in the reign of the Han emperor Ling, a 'guest star' appeared in the sky in the direction of the constellation Centaurus, between Alpha and Beta Centauri, and shone for about eight months before disappearing. It is the oldest supernova that can be reliably identified in historical records. The remnant, a ring of gas called RCW 86, about 8,000 light years away, was found by X-ray telescopes, and its expansion fits the age. Chinese astronomers, who watched the sky for omens, left records of novae, comets and sunspots for over two thousand years, which are valuable to modern science.
Before and after
- from 166 CE to 180 CEMarcomannic Wars
- 170 CEDeath of Ptolemy
- 17 March 180 CEDeath of Marcus Aurelius
- from 184 CE to 205 CEYellow Turban Rebellion
- 185 CEChinese astronomers record the supernova of 185
- 193 CEYear of the Five Emperors
- 2nd centuryConstruction of Aqueduct of Segovia
- 2nd centuryPublication of Book of Han
- c. 200sTeotihuacan becomes the largest city in the Americas
More in Universe & space
- 7 January 1610Discovery of Io
- 25 March 1655Discovery of Titan
- 13 March 1781Discovery of Uranus
- 23 September 1846Discovery of Neptune
- 12 August 1877Discovery of Deimos
- 17 August 1877Discovery of Phobos
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 2nd century.