Tycho's supernova. Diagram published by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), showing the supernova that he had observed on 11 November 1572.
Tycho's supernova. Diagram published by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), showing the supernova that he had observed on 11 November 1572. The supernova (here labelled I) appeared in the constellation of Cassiopeia. A supernova is the explosive death of a massive star. This supernova became as bright as the planet Venus, and was visible in daylight for two weeks. It remained visible at night to the naked eye for around 16 months. This supernova was later named SN 1572. The diagram shows eight stars (labelled A-H) in the constellation, with a legend in Latin. The text describes the appearance and location of the supernova. This page is from 'Tychonis Brahe Astronomiae Instauratae Progymnasmata' (1602), prepared for publication after Tycho Brahe's death by Johannes Kepler, who wrote the appendix.
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