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'Supernova 1604', also known as 'Kepler's Supernova' or 'Kepler's Star', was a supernova in the Milky Way, in the constellation Ophiuchus. As of 2005, it is the last supernova to have been unquestionably observed in our own galaxy, occurring no greater than 6 kiloparsecs or about 20,000 light-years from Earth. Visible to the naked eye, it was brighter at its peak than any other star in the night sky, and all the planets (other than Venus), with apparent magnitude −2.5.
The supernova was first observed on October 9, 1604.^[1] The Germanic astronomer Johannes Kepler first saw it on October 17. He studied it so extensively that it was subsequently named after him. His book on the subject was entitled ''De Stella nova in pede Serpentarii'' (On the new star in Ophiuchus's foot).

It was the second supernova to be observed in a generation (after SN 1572 seen by Tycho Brahe in Cassiopeia). No further supernovae have since been observed with certainty in the Milky Way, though many others outside our galaxy have been seen.
The supernova remnant resulting from this supernova is considered to be one of the "prototypical" objects of its kind, and is still an object of much study in astronomy.

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See also

References

External links

See also

★ List of supernova remnants

References

1. Bill Blair's Kepler's Supernova Remnant Page Accessed ''September 20, 2006''

External links

★ Nine Planets page on SN1604