The jaw-dropping picture above -- courtesy of the Spitzer Space Telescope -- is Cassiopeia A (Cas A), a supernova remnant that is one of the brightest sources of radio waves in the night sky.
Astronomers believe light from this stellar explosion reached the Earth in the late 17th century. But a new hypothesis presented at this week's meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in Wales contends that Cas A might have been observed much earlier -- say, May 19, 1630.
That date is historically significant as the birthday of the future King Charles II of England. Legend has it that a bright new "noon day star" appeared in the heavens to mark this auspicious occasion.
More Here: http://news.discovery.com/space/did-supernova-herald-birth-of-a-king-110417.html
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