Researchers have found a petroglyph created by Native Americans over 1000 years ago that depicts the supernova of 1006. The carving is in the Phoenix, Arizona region, in an area once thought to be inhabited by the Hohokam Nation. This suggests that the pre-colonisation indigenous peoples of North America were as aware of astronomical occurrences as other civilisations around the world, as in Europe, China and the Middle East. The supernova that appeared on May 01, 1006, would have reached peak brightness comparable to that of the quarter moon. The artefact will now be tested to determine its age, in order to verify the researchers' claims.

Image Credit: G.Esquerdo/J.Barentine/Planetary Science Inst./Apache Point Obs./SAO

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