Tycho Brahe was captivated
by the mysterious "new star"
Stella Nova
"The supernova of 1572 marked a milestone in the history of science," said Oliver Krause, of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany.
"It ultimately led to the abandonment of the notion of the immutability of the heavens.
"But its classification has been controversial.
"The determination of the exact supernova type has not been possible, without spectroscopic information."
Based on historic records, Tycho's supernova [SN 1572] has traditionally been interpreted as a type Ia supernova.
Such supernovas are believed to occur when a white dwarf star undergoes a titanic, thermonuclear explosion.
Material from the star is ejected at up to 18,000 miles per second - or one-tenth of the speed of light.
VIDEO:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7762939.stmAstronomers have reconstructed Tycho Brahe's 1572 supernova
The debris from Tycho's supernova has expanded over the last 400 years into a cloud of gas and dust with a diameter of more than 20 light years.
But the nature of the original explosive event which created this remnant has remained unresolved.
