One of the earliest representations of sunspots, recorded in a 12th manuscript looked after by Corpus since 1618, is going to make an appearance on the BBC’s Sky at Night. Each monthly episode is a journey through the fascinating world of space and astronomy with the latest thinking on what's out there in space and what you can see in the night sky. This broadcast, Stars: a matter of Life and Death, will be shown at 9pm on 12 July, on BBC Four and will be available on the iPlayer afterwards.
John of Worcester’s Chronicle of England is a major source for the history of England from the death of Bede (734) until the reign of King Stephen. As well as noting the actions of kings, this Chronicle records various natural phenomena. The sunspots image illustrates an entry for 1128 describing John’s observation of two black spheres against the sun.