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Supernova 1993J in Spiral Galaxy M81

Supernova 1993J in Spiral Galaxy M81
This Hubble Space Telescope photo composite shows the location of supernova 1993J inside the majestic spiral galaxy M81. Though astronomers saw the star explode as a supernova 21 years ago, the glow of that explosion is still present, as seen in the inset image. The supernova has faded to the point where astronomers are confident that they have picked up the ultraviolet glow of a very hot companion star. This is the first time astronomers have been able to put constraints on the properties of the companion star in this unusual class of supernova called Type IIb. Hubble observations in ultraviolet light confirm the theory that the explosion originated in a double-star system where one star fueled the mass-loss from the aging primary star.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    09h 55m 24.78s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    69° 1' 13.68"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Ursa Major
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    11 million light-years (3,600,000 parsecs)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    Note: The wide-field image of M81 was released on May 28, 2007. ACS/WFC data from proposal 10584 (PI: A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)) was combined into a BVI color-composite image. Hubble data for this release of SN 1993J were obtained from proposal 12531: A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), P. Chandra (Pune University, India), R. Chevalier (University of Virginia), V. Dwarkadas (University of Chicago), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), W. Li (University of California, Berkeley) T. Matheson (NOAO), J. Silverman (University of Texas, Austin), N. Smith (Steward Observatory), and S. Van Dyk (Caltech). The science team comprises: O. Fox (University of California, Berkeley), A. Bostroem (STScI), S. Van Dyk (Caltech), A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), T. Matheson (NOAO), S. Cenko (University of California, Berkeley, and NASA/GSFC), P. Chandra (Pune University, India), V. Dwarkadas (University of Chicago), W. Li and A. Parker (University of California, Berkeley), and N. Smith (Steward Observatory).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    December 24, 2011
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    Galaxy M81 image: F435W (B), F606W (V), and F814W (I) Inset image: F438W (B), F555W (V), and F625W (r)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    SN 1993J, Supernova 1993J
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Supernova in M81
  • Release Date
    September 9, 2014
  • Science Release
    Hubble Finds Companion Star Hidden for 21 Years in a Supernova’s Glare
    Read the release
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, A. Zezas (CfA), and A. Filippenko (UC Berkeley); Acknowledgment: Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Science: NASA, ESA, and O. Fox (University of California, Berkeley), A. Bostroem (STScI), S. Van Dyk (Caltech), A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), T. Matheson (NOAO), S. Cenko (University of California, Berkeley, and NASA/GSFC), P. Chandra (National Center for Radio Astrophysics/Pune University, India), V. Dwarkadas (University of Chicago), W. Li and A. Parker (University of California, Berkeley), and N. Smith (Steward Observatory)

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Supernova 1993J in Spiral Galaxy M81
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

The galaxy M81 image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Three filters were used to sample light from broad wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F435W (B) Green: F606W (V) Red: F814W (I) The inset image of SN 1993J is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS/WFC instrument. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image as follows: Blue: F438W (B) Green: F555W (V) Red: F625W (r)

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Artist's Impression of Supernova 1993J

Artist's Impression of Supernova 1993J

This is an artist's impression of supernova 1993J, an exploding star in the galaxy M81 whose light reached us 21 years ago. The supernova originated in a double-star system where one member was a massive star that exploded after siphoning most of its hydrogen envelope to its...

HST ACS Image of M81

HST ACS Image of M81

HST WFC3 Image of Supernova 1993J

HST WFC3 Image of Supernova 1993J

Scenario for Type IIb SN 1993J

Scenario for Type IIb SN 1993J

This illustration shows the key steps in the evolution of a Type IIb supernova. Panel 1: Two very hot stars orbit about each other in a binary system. Panel 2: The slightly more massive member of the pair evolves into a bloated red giant and spills the hydrogen in its outer...

Compass and Scale Image for SN 1993J

Compass and Scale Image for SN 1993J

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 14, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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