SN 1181

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Supernova SN 1181

3C 58, a pulsar wind nebula, is the presumed remnant
Observation data (Epoch ?)
Supernova type unknown
Remnant type {{{SNRtype}}}
Host Galaxy Milky Way
Constellation Cassiopeia
Right ascension 2h 2m
Declination +64° 37′
Galactic coordinates g.130.719+03.084
Discovery Date 1181 UTC
Peak magnitude (V) -1?
Distance {{{distance}}}
Physical characteristics
Progenitor Unknown
Progenitor type Unknown
Colour (B-V) Unknown
Notable features Visible at night for 185 days

First observed between August 4 and August 6, 1181, Chinese and Japanese astronomers recorded the supernova now known as SN 1181 in eight separate texts. One of only eight supernovae in the Milky Way observable with the naked eye in recorded history, it appeared in the constellation Cassiopeia and was visible in the night sky for about 185 days.

The radio and X-ray pulsar J0205+6449 (also known as 3C 58), which rotates about 15 times per second, is possibly the remnant from this event. If the supernova and pulsar are associated, the star is still rotating about as quickly as it did when it first formed. This is in contrast to the Crab pulsar, known to be the remnant of the SN 1054 supernova in the year 1054, which has lost two-thirds of its rotational energy in essentially the same time span.

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