However, supernova sighting is limited by the observational capabilities and detection techniques. For the past four centuries, our galaxy did not witness a supernova explosion. The most recent supernova explosion in our galaxy occurred in 1604. Since then, several supernovae have been observed in our galaxy, the most luminous of which was SN 1006, which occurred in the southern constellation Lupus. The first record of historical supernovae went back to 185 CE and was recorded by the Chinese. In a typical burst, the radiation emitted by a supernova may outshine, in a short period of time, the entire galaxy in which it resides. The study of their spectra and light curves has been an efficient tool in identifying the nature of the processes producing the huge amount of energy released in these explosions. The amount of energy released in a typical supernova explosion is colossal and reaches the incredible level of about 10 44 joules. The physical process involved in generating supernovae has been the subject of intense theoretical and observational research during the past few decades. Supernovae are violent stellar explosions. In the third part, we highlight ancient records relating the sudden appearance of a supernova or a comet to the spread of epidemics in certain regions of the world. In the second part, we discuss historical supernovae as appearing in the records of human civilizations. In the first part of this paper, we briefly describe the processes that lead to a supernova explosion. Subsequently, humans have witnessed across the centuries a series of such violent events that appear suddenly in the sky and illuminate the darkness of the night for several weeks or months. The first record of a supernova occurrence goes back to 185 CE. The explosion is produced by a catastrophic collapse of the iron core of a massive star or the collapse of a white dwarf after accreting enough mass from its companion to reach the Chandrasekhar limit. The supernova explosion causes a sudden rise in the dead star’s luminosity which may outshine momentarily the entire galaxy in which it resides. A huge amount of energy is released during the explosion in a wide range of wavelengths. Supernovae are powerful explosions of massive stars that have reached a terminal stage in their evolution.
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