![]() ![]() ![]() “Perhaps one of the ways for a clever astronomer at the University of Constantinople Constantinople to record the event would be to use a cipher, in this case a minted coin of a special edition minted after the 1054 event.” “Given the Church’s position on astronomy/astrology, there would be strong incentive not to report the occurrence of an event – including an apparent supernova – that would threaten the theological/astronomical status quo,” the study authors wrote. But at least one wise scholar might have found a way around the censorship. In connection with the chaos of the schism at the time, church officials might have thought it wise to simply ignore the supernova. In essence, the Church may have had a “philosophical prejudice against observed changes in the supposedly perfect and eternal night sky,” the researchers wrote in the paper. If this interpretation is correct and the rare coin shows SN 1054, it suggests that religious restrictions may have banned Byzantine scholars from studying or writing about the supernova. The team adds that the two stars may also represent the warring Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic Churches, which split during an event called the Great Schism in July 1054. Related: Earliest documented aurora found in ancient Chinese textsĪccording to the team’s interpretation, the head could represent the emperor The sunrepresents the eastern star Venus – a regularly visible daytime object also called the “Morning Star” – while the western star represents SN 1054, which has been visible in the daytime sky opposite Venus for almost a month. While three of the coins featured only one star, the authors suggest that the fourth coin features two bright stars framing an image of the Emperor’s head – could be a subtle and possibly heretical depiction of the 1054 supernova. In a study published in the August 2022 issue of the European Journal of Science and Theologya team of researchers analyzed a series of four Byzantine gold coins minted during the reign of Constantine IX. ![]()
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