A supernova is the top suspect of the mysterious 774 AD "Red Crucifix in the sky". Historical texts like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle have made reference to astronomical events before and a sighting in 774 told of a red crucifix in the sky in Britain during evening hours. Some say the sighting could have been what was the result of a supernova explosion.

Jonathon Allen, biochemistry major at the University of California, Santa Cruz, knew about a team of researchers in Japan who found an odd spike of cosmic rays in tree rings. Earth is believed to have been hit by a mystery blast of cosmic rays, and a relic of the powerful event was found in the Japanese cedar trees. A look at eighth century entries led him to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, accessed on an online library site hosted by Yale.

The Japanese research team did respond to this correlation of the cosmic rays found in tree rings, and a supernova which hit Earth sometime between 774-775 AD. Their response: "With our present knowledge, we cannot specify the cause of this event".

Documented historical text reported: "In the year 774 AD, appeared in the heavens a red crucifix, after sunset; the Mercians and the men of Kent fought at Otford; and wonderful serpents were seen in the land of the South-Saxons." The journal Nature, reported astronomers are not ruling out a supernova. The color of the so-called crucifix might indicate that the source was behind a dust cloud dense enough to scatter all but a small amount of red light.

Astronomer Geza Gyuk of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, has used the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to investigate past astronomical events. Gyuk says: "The wording suggests the object was in the western skies shortly after sunset, which would mean that it would have moved behind the Sun where it could not be seen as Earth orbited the Sun."

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Mitch Battros | 



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