Brightest Astronomical Event in the History (Fact of the Day)

Crab Nebula

The brightest astronomical event ever recorded in historic times was the explosion of supernova SN 1054, in 1054. The supernova was so bright that it was even seen in the day light for 23 days and at night, it even casted a second shadow. It is located 6,300 light years away in the Milky Way Galaxy.

The remnants of the supernova SN 1054 is known as the Crab Nebula. It is in the constellation of Taurus. It is about 11 light years across and still expanding at a rate of 1,500 kilometers per second.



Reference

Polarized Crab Nebula. Science (New York, N.Y.), 321(5893), 1129b-1129b.doi:10.1126/science.321.5893.1129b

Source