Supernovae and the Revolution in Science

Abstract

A new star in ancient times was a troubling sight. It violated the long-established order, raising doubts about the reliability and regularity of the heavens. Little wonder that Oriental astronomers and Arab scholars reported such appearances as signs of pestilence and war. Emperors sickened and died, the tide of battle turned, dynasties toppled, all supposedly in response to the changes in the sky. Such superstitions have lost their force with time, but looking back we still can marvel at the influence of two bright new stars, which medieval Europeans called novae, but which we recognize today as super-novae.