Historical Supernovae and their Remnants
by
F. R. Stephenson (University of Durham)
and
D. A. Green (University of Cambridge)

published by Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-850766-6 (August 2002, 266 pages, hardback)

[new] also available, with corrections, in the physics section of the Oxford Scholarship Online full-text library (January 2010) [new]

This book reviews both the historical observations of supernovae (SNe) seen in our Galaxy over the last two millennia which were recorded in East Asia (China, Japan and Korea), Europe and the Arab dominions, together with modern observations of the remnants of these SNe. Introductory chapters provide background information about the historical observations and modern understanding of supernovae and their remnants. Subsequent chapters discuss records of the well defined historical SNe and their remnants, namely: Kepler's SN of AD 1604; Tycho's SN of AD 1572; the SN of AD 1181; the SN of AD 1054 which produced the Crab Nebula; and the especially bright SN of AD 1006. One chapter discusses the young supernova remnant Cas A, and the proposed sighting of its SN in AD 1680 by Flamsteed. Earlier probable and possible supernovae in the proceeding millennium that were chronicled in China are also discussed, along with their possible remnants. Other less certain observations of historical SN, and the future prospects for additional historical observations, are briefly discussed. This book also includes as an appendix and up-to-date catalogue of Galactic supernova remnants.


[updated] Errata [updated]


Book cover This book was published
in August 2002, and can
be ordered directly from:
www.oup.co.uk

I have also written a shorter review of historical supernovae with F.R. Stephenson, which is included as a chapter in Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters, edited by Kurt W. Weiler, published by Springer-Verlag (in their Lecture Notes in Physics series, volume 598).
Book cover
(486 pages, hardcover)
This book was published
in August 2003, and can
be ordered directly from:

www.springer.de