SN 1054 was a supernova that appeared in the constellation Taurus in the summer of 1054, and it was recorded by Chinese astronomers, who called it a guest star, and probably also by Japanese and Arab observers. It was so bright that it was said to have been visible in daylight for around three weeks and in the night sky for nearly two years. The remnant of the explosion is the Crab Nebula, an expanding cloud of gas that was observed in the eighteenth century by John Bevis and later catalogued as M1 by Charles Messier. At its centre is the Crab Pulsar, a rapidly spinning neutron star discovered in 1968, which confirmed that supernovae can leave behind neutron stars.
Before and after
- 11th centuryConstruction of Modena Cathedral
- 11th centuryConstruction of St Margaret's Church, Westminster
- c. 1050sChaco Canyon becomes the centre of Ancestral Puebloan life
- 1051Construction of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
- 1054SN 1054
- July 1054East-West Schism
- c. 1058Birth of Al-Ghazali
- 1059Construction of Florence Baptistery
- 1060Origins of Baphuon
More in Universe & space
- from c. 1420s to 1440sFounding of Ulugh Beg Observatory
- 7 January 1610Discovery of Io
- 25 March 1655Discovery of Titan
- 23 September 1846Discovery of Neptune
- 12 August 1877Discovery of Deimos
- 17 August 1877Discovery of Phobos
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.