Today in History

October 9, 1604

Supernova 1604

On this day in 1604, observers in Northern Italy witnessed a supernova which occurred in the Milky Way, in the constellation Ophiuchus. Johannes Kepler, the famous astronomer and mathematician, named it after himself. Visible to the unaided observer of the night sky, it was brighter than any star. It was, and remains, only the second supernova, or exploding star, to be observed in the Milky Way ever, the other observed in 1572. Remnants of the event are still visible by specialized telescopes.

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