Medieval Supernova

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Advanced scientific astronomy calculation instruments were in existence in the Greek classical period and megalithic solar observatories came into existence independently shortly after agriculture was invented in multiple places. There is even evidence of astronomy being done in a stone temple in Anatolia built before agriculture was invented. By around Y1K, astronomy was taught in universities, and was done in a quite scientific manner in multiple civilizations around the globe. Prior to the Renaissance, however, it was all done with the naked eye. 

The remnant of the historical supernova SN 1181 is under discussion: While the previously suggested G130.7+3.1 (3C58) appears too old (3000-5000 yr), the unusual star IRAS 00500+6713 with a surrounding nebula (Pa-30) has an expansion age not inconsistent with a SN Iax explosion in AD 1181 under the assumption that neither acceleration nor deceleration occurred. 

Previously, only reports from China and Japan were known, pointing to an event near the northern circumpolar region. Any further reports from other cultures can therefore be highly relevant. 

We present here an Arabic poem in praise of Saladin by the contemporaneous author Ibn Sanā' al-Mulk (Cairo, Egypt). We re-date its composition to between Dec 1181 and May 1182. It contains a new bright star, which can be identified as SN 1181. The poem also provides new and independent information on the object type (called `najm' for `star'), location on sky (in or near the Arabic constellation al-Kaff al-Khabīb, lit. the henna-dyed hand (five bright stars in Cassiopeia), and brightness (brighter than alpha Cas, 2.25 mag). 

In addition, we present another Arabic text on SN 1006, also from Cairo, by the historian al-Maqrīzī, probably based on the contemporaneous al-Musabbihī

J.G. Fischer, H. Halm, R. Neuhäuser, D.L. Neuhäuser, "New Arabic records from Cairo on supernovae 1181 and 1006" arXiv:2509.04127 (published August 19, 2025 at 346 Astronomical Notes e70024).