Paper Covers Rock, or 1000 Years of Supernova Observation

[lieu]

Today, at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Calgary, a proposal will be put forth that a rock from the White Tanks Regional Park outside Phoenix, a petroglyph of Anasazi design, is in fact a depection of the explosion of a supernova from back in 1006. (CNN story.)

Although nearly invisible today, the supernova of 1006, or SN 1006, was perhaps the brightest stellar event ever to occur in recorded human history. At its peak, the supernova was about the quarter the brightness of the moon, so radiant that people could have read by its light at midnight, scientists say.

The Hohokam petroglyph depicts symbols of a scorpion and stars that match a model showing the relative positions of the supernova with respect to the constellation Scorpius. The model was created by John Barentine, an astronomer at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico and Gilbert Esquerdo, a research assistant at the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona.

“If confirmed, this discovery supports the idea that ancient Native Americans were aware of changes in the night sky and moved to commemorate them in their cultural record,” said Barentine, who studies Southwest archeology as a hobby.

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A similar petroglyph discovered near Penasco Blanco in Chaco Canyon National Monument, New Mexico is also believed to represent a supernova, but one that occurred later, on July 4, 1054.

Dating ancient celestial events and correlating them with observations from other continents and peoples through the use of rock art? That’s worth a few moments reflection the next time you’re around a campfire.

[lieu]

Make that Hohokam, not Anasazi.

[Squink]

depicts symbols of a scorpion and stars that match a model showing the relative positions of the supernova with respect to the constellation Scorpius.

Umm, how did the Hohokam even know about Greek mythology?

[lieu]

I don’t think they had a clue about Greek constellations/mythology but see, they didn’t need to. All they had to know about was a scorpion, of which there were plenty in their everyday environment. That two different civilizations might see the same thing in the sky does not necessitate knowledge of each other but speaks more of just how much those stars do resemble a common thing.

Hohokam items are difficult to date due to their absence of a written language. If, though, they can be correlated to a civilization that did keep better chronologic records, then possibly a date can be established. That would… ummm… rock.

[Sailboat]

@Squink

Umm, how did the Hohokam even know about Greek mythology?

That would make a terrific General Question, don’t you think?

Sailboat