Newly Discovered Supernova Bright Enough To Be Seen from Earth

On May 13, 2017, Patrick Wiggins, public outreach educator for the University of Utah’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, and NASA solar system ambassador to Utah, spotted something unusual in the sky. He was looking at the spiral galaxy NGC 6946, known as the Fireworks Galaxy, in the Cygnus constellation over 22 million light-years away from his telescope at his home near Erda, Utah. He noticed a bright spot that he hadn’t seen before. By comparing what he was seeing with earlier photographs taken of the same galaxy, he realized he was witnessing a star explode. He had just discovered a supernova.

Credit: Patrick Dunford

Named SN 2017eaw, Wiggins’ discovery was confirmed on May 14th by two experts in supernovae; Subo Dong at Peking University, and Krzysztof Z. Stanek from Ohio State University.

When a star goes supernova, it is one of the largest, most impressive astronomical events in space. A supernova occurs when a massive star collapses in a brilliant explosion that can outshine entire galaxies. This can happen in two ways; when a smaller star burns through its nuclear fuel, the core loses the energy to push against the gravity relentlessly pulling the star inward. 

Contacts and sources:
Patrick Wiggins
University of Utah