Hearing Stars - SN1054 (Supernova) by Seo Yoon Soyoona Kim

‘SN 1054’ is inspired by people who first observed and recorded the explosion of Supernova (SN) 1054, and the modern scientists who study its remnant, the Crab Nebula. 20th-century astronomers discovered that the Crab Nebula has continuously expanded since its creation and that it started from a point-like object about a thousand years ago. When astronomers searched for relevant ancient astronomical records, they found out Chinese documents of the year 1054 AD that depicted the sudden appearance of a bright star [1]: "Zhihe reign period, first year, seventh lunar month, 22nd day … Yang Weide said, ‘I humbly observe that a guest star has appeared; above the star in question there is a faint glow, yellow in color … It was seen in the daytime, like Venus. It had pointed rays in all directions and its color was pale red. In total it was seen (in daylight) for 23 days.’" History says that it was visible at night for two years and then gradually disappeared. The "new" star impressed not only Chinese astronomers but also scholars of Iraq and Native Americans in the Arizona region. With curiosity and awe, the astronomical event was observed and documented, which modern scientists identified as the death of a star, SN 1054.

The SN 1054 and the Crab Nebula tell us how we study, explore, and accumulate knowledge through generations. It is the story of people who diligently observe and record unknown phenomena when there is no guarantee they will have an explanation in their lives. It is the story of people who step onto the stepping stones laid by their ancestors and finally find the answer to a long-awaited question. Even at this very moment, Seo Yoon imagines people are communicating with the past or future, laying out or stepping on the stone. A desire for knowledge is the driving force of human history. This music is a tribute to all our curiosities.

Reference
[1] [Stephenson, F.R., and Green, D.A., 2002. Historical Supernovae and their Remnants. Oxford, Oxford University Press.]
Seo Yoon wishes to thank Dr. Kornpob Bhirombhakdi (Space Telescope Science Institute) for numerous fruitful discussions that inspired to write this music.

Composed by Seo Yoon Soyoona Kim: https://www.youtube.com/user/lovescarlett07
Performed by the Bergamot Quartet (Ledah Finck and Sarah Jane Thomas, violins; Amy Tan, viola; Irene Han, cello): www.bergamotquartet.com
Directed by Caroline Xia with videography by Rafhael Dungca
Audio Engineering by Andrew Bohman

Video/Image Credits:
- “Stars glitter in the night sky above Earth’s atmospheric glow” - NASA, ISS, article - Dec. 31. 2019, editor - Mark Garcia
- “Multiwavelength Crab Nebula” - NASA, ESA, G. Dubner (IAFE, CONICET-University of Buenos Aires) et al.; A. Loll et al.; T. Temim et al.; F. Seward et al.; VLA/NRAO/AUI/NSF; Chandra/CXC; Spitzer/JPL-Caltech; XMM-Newton/ESA; and Hubble/STScI

Видео Hearing Stars - SN1054 (Supernova) by Seo Yoon Soyoona Kim канала Space Telescope Science Institute