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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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A Supernova in Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403
Explanation: The closest and brightest supernova in over a decade was recorded just over a month ago in the outskirts of nearby galaxy NGC 2403. Officially tagged SN 2004dj , the Type IIP explosion likely annihilated most of a blue supergiant star as central fusion could no longer hold it up . The supernova can be seen as the bright object in the above image in the direction of the arrow. The home galaxy to the supernova, spiral galaxy NGC 2403 , is located only 11 million light years away and is visible with binoculars toward the northern constellation of Camelopardalis (the Giraffe ). The supernova is fading but still visible with a telescope, once peaking at just brighter than magnitude 12. Supernovas of this type change brightness in a predictable way and may be searched for in the distant universe as distance indicators.
| Date | September 7, 2004 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: A. V. Filippenko ( UC Berkeley ), P. Challis ( Harvard CfA ), et al. , ESA , NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |