Hidden Hipparchus Night-Sky Map Recovered With X-ray Scanning
Scientists at SLAC are using a synchrotron X-ray scanner to reveal a buried star catalog thought to be Hipparchus’ oldest map of the night sky, hidden beneath ink on a 6th‑century manuscript (Codex Climaci Rescriptus) from St Catherine’s Monastery. Initial scans confirm underlying Greek text linked to Earth’s precession; 11 of about 200 pages have been scanned so far, with researchers hoping to reconstruct the map and gain insights into the birth of science and naked-eye astronomy.
