Tycho's Supernova Remnant
In early November 1572, a “new star” appeared in Cassiopeia, bright enough to be counted among the eight supernovae visible to the naked eye in historical records. The object is known as SN 1572, or B Cassiopeiae, and it was a Type Ia supernova.
Briefing
SN 1572—also called Tycho’s Star, Tycho’s Nova, or Tycho’s Supernova—was a Type Ia supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia. The supernova remnant is often known as 3C 10 (a radio-source designation) and increasingly as Tycho’s supernova remnant.
How we know
The supernova was witnessed directly as a naked-eye “new star,” appearing in early November 1572 and being independently discovered by many individuals. The remnant that remained after the outburst has been observed optically, but it was first detected at radio wavelengths—an identification grounded not in the transient human experience of sudden brightness, but in the persistence of radio emission recorded as a cataloged radio source (3C 10). Historic observations of this event, including Tycho Brahe’s extensive work, are described as among the most important observation events in the history of astronomy: the appearance challenged the Aristotelian dogma of the unchangeability of the realm|
- Unseen
- The supernova itself was visible to the naked eye in 1572, but the event is long over; the remaining supernova remnant is not presented here with enough information to support practical observing guidance using amateur equipment.
