The Chinese noted that it sparkled like a star and did not appear to move in the sky, arguing against it being a comet. Also, the observers noticed that the star took about eight months to fade, consistent with modern observations of supernovas. http://www.universetoday.com/2006/09...va-discovered/
How they managed to see Alpha Cen from China? Perhaps only from southern parts... it must have been very low, just above the horizon....
Possibly precession also helped a bit here, I will check with CdC..
Shouldn't be a problem for them. Modern Hong Kong is around 22N latitude, so Centaurus gets above the horizon there, though not by much. The border with modern Vietnam is around 21N, and Hainan gets you to 18N. Take away the modern light and air pollution, and I reckon it's doable.
The SN was first seen from Lo Yang (112 26E, 34 40N) on 7/12/185.
Precession means it was higher above the horizon then.
Andrew James writes.
Reports and observations in the historical record come from a provincial city known as Lo Yang. (Latitude +34.7dN) Invisible from this location today, precession places this "new star" at declination -51d36' S (185AD) whose southerly culmination is some 3.6d above the horizon.
Yeah i seen it before, good article anyway It nice if you see a supernova because you'ill see nice colours and structures in the sky esp at night. I know it kinda dangerous if they affect us.
Part of RCW 86 should be visible with an amateur scope and UHC filter.
This image is from galaxymap.org
The pink part at lower right is 1.8 degrees from alpha Cen in pa 177 degrees.
The bright blue star at top left is BT Cir.
It nice if you see a supernova because you'ill see nice colours and structures in the sky esp at night. I know it kinda dangerous if they affect us.
