In the past, several scholars were able to recognize and document various astronomical events with rudimentary tools, compared to current ones.
One of these records can be found in a medieval manuscript dated 1217. The document may have been the first known about a phenomenon called “recurrent nova”.
see more
Expo CIEE Virtual opens 10 thousand vacancies for internship and learning
Jaguar roars near forestry engineer, who has the biggest fright of his life…
According to current studies, this event occurs whenever there is the death of a star, which ends up generating several explosions of light at regular intervals.
In this way, we can understand that, even with the lack of equipment or knowledge, human beings were already studying and dealing with this type of event centuries ago.
This indicates, therefore, that, despite not having scientific explanations, researchers at the time also reported on astronomical events.
See what was found in the manuscript
As assessed by astronomer Bradley E. Schaefer, from Louisiana State University, the rare space phenomenon was verified by a German monk. This described the glow caused by the explosion of a star in 1217.
The manuscript was written by the leader of Ursberg Abbey, Abbot Burchard. He reported that “a wonderful sign was seen,” referring to the new appellant.
Furthermore, he reinforces that the object observed in the skies “shone with great light for many days”, indicating that what happened was glimpsed over an extended period.
According to research on the manuscript, the monk may have been referring to T Coronae Borealis (T CrB). This body is present in the Corona Borealis constellation and increases its brightness drastically for about a week every 80 years.
(Image: disclosure)
What else is known about the sighting of the rare space phenomenon
According to the researcher, the image seen was most likely not a meteorite or a supernova.
In the case of the meteor, it was seen by monks as a sign of misfortune and would hardly be described as “wonderful”.
It is also not possible for the rare space phenomenon to be a supernova, as this event causes very violent reactions. Therefore, it would be possible to notice its remains today.
Until then, the sighting of the phenomenon had only been recorded twice throughout history. The first, during 1866, and the second, in 1946. The manuscript was the third time a new recurrent was documented.