Supernova in Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)!

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:14 pm

A supernova has 'just' erupted in the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) in Ursa Major.

Some details from S&T:

This is a Type Ia supernova, that is, the destruction of a white
dwarf in a binary system.

It is currently at around mag 13+ and brightening.

It was discovered on August 24th at mag 17.2. Apparently, never before has a Type Ia supernova been discovered so early in its brightening.

It had already climbed to mag 13.8 by 20 h Universal Time on August 25th.

The early detection, combined with the relative closeness of M101 (23 million light-years), makes this a spectacular find for professional researchers. Moreover, this supernova
should brighten by at least 250 times and might well reach 11th magnitude or slightly better at its peak — easily within visual reach of an 8-inch telescope.

More info here:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observin ... 30288.html

For observers in Singapore, a quick check with a planetarium program shows that M101 would be at an altitude of 24 degrees in the NNW at 8.00pm today. So we should try to view it and photograph it too!

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:43 pm

Apparently, this is quite a big deal. Don't miss it! More info here:

http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=2550

I hope our present heavy cloud cover scatters soon!

shirox · Post by **shirox** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:03 pm

Post by **weixing** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:07 pm

Hi,
I think quite difficult to see now in Singapore... it'll be quite low at early evening and the current weather is... [smilie=crying3.gif]

Have a nice day.

sTiCkY · Post by **sTiCkY** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:00 pm

MERSING! hope the skies clear early.. so we can catch a glimpse of it..

mandaragit · Post by **mandaragit** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:04 pm

can we see this with binoculars or 50mm scope? second link mentioned it might be possible...

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:10 pm

Seeing a Supernovae in binoculars and finder scopes. That should inject some excitement into amateur astronomy!

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:34 pm

mandaragit wrote:can we see this with binoculars or 50mm scope? second link mentioned it might be possible...

Hi, do check the S&T article for regular updates on this supernova, designated as SN 2011fe (but initially referred to as PTF 11kly):
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observin ... 30288.html

The S&T article has some more info added, including a link to a brightness curve on the website of the AAVSO (American Assoc of Variable Star Observers) based on incoming reports. As of 0hrs UT today (8am S'pore time), the supernova was at around mag 13.7):
http://www.aavso.org/lcg/plot?auid=000- ... an=&vmean=

At its latest reported brightness (mag 13.7), I think it would not be possible to observe it visually with any amateur telescope from light-polluted Singapore. However, some have managed to photograph Pluto (which is at a similar brightness at mag 13.9) from Singapore with a telescope and a timed-exposure.

If the supernova reaches mag 11+ as the articles suggest, then I think it would be possible to see it from Singapore in the eyepiece of a amateur telescope or perhaps large and mounted binoculars. Even then, it would be a faint point of light in the eyepiece.

I set-up my scope just now at 7pm hoping to photograph as there were then small gaps in the clouds. But alas, by 8pm the cloud cover in Singapore was and still is now near 100%.

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:57 pm

Supernova SN 2011fe has brightened to around mag 12.4, as of early today. See the following light curve graph on the website of the AAVSO:

http://www.aavso.org/lcg/plot?auid=000- ... an=&vmean=

It seems to have brightened by about 0.5 mag in the last 24 hrs. At mag 12.4 and brightening by the day, I think it would now be possible to view it from Singapore in the eyepiece of an 8" scope or larger, though it would still be just a small faint point of light.

It's been so cloudy in S'pore these days. Hope to be able to observe it visually. If I manage to view it, it would be the single furthest star I've seen before, at 23 million light years away. Just imagine, that one single star's photons have been travelling here since 23 million years ago, and now they enter our telescope, then the eyepiece, and then our retinas. For all the trouble they've taken getting here, it would be a pity to let those photons just fall to the ground wasted.

Hmmm…. perhaps those photons got tired getting here and the light waves became red-shifted in the meantime? I was just reading the other day about the old Tired Light Theory, which was/is an alternative to Hubble’s expanding universe. The latter in turn is I think the foundation of the Big Bang Theory. Here are two articles on the theory of “tired light”:
http://lyndonashmore.com/tired_light_front_page.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tired_light

Perhaps studies of this Type Ia supernova, SN 2011fe, may shed some… light on it.

Anyway, 23 million years ago… That was at the early part of Earth’s Miocene epoch in the Cenozoic era: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_time_scale
It does sound quite ancient.

Post by **Airconvent** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:43 pm

yeah..this seems like a once in a life time event.
Hope to be able to catch it on rlow's 15-incher at the Science Centre this Friday [smilie=bye2.gif]

Lets hope he is there...