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SN 2001ig in NGC 7424

SN 2001ig in NGC 7424
Seventeen years ago, astronomers witnessed supernova 2001ig go off 40 million light-years away in the galaxy NGC 7424, in the southern constellation Grus, the Crane. Shortly after SN 2001ig exploded, scientists photographed the supernova with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2002. Two years later, they followed up with the Gemini South Observatory, which hinted at the presence of a surviving binary companion. As the supernova’s glow faded, scientists focused Hubble on that location in 2016. They pinpointed and photographed the surviving companion, which was possible only due to Hubble’s exquisite resolution and ultraviolet sensitivity. Hubble observations of SN 2001ig provide the best evidence yet that some supernovas originate in double-star systems.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    22:57:18
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -41:04:14
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Grus
  • 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.
    NGC 7424 is located 37.5 million light-years away from Earth.
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is 5.2 arcmin across (about 57,000 light-years).

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.
    The HST observations include those from program 14075 (O. Fox/STScI).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    February 16, 2016; April 28, 2016; and May 29, 2016
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F275W; F336W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    SN 2001ig in NGC 7424
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Surviving companion star from supernova explosion
  • Release Date
    April 26, 2018
  • Science Release
    Stellar Thief Is the Surviving Companion to a Supernova
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, S. Ryder (Australian Astronomical Observatory), and O. Fox (STScI)

Downloads

  • 2000 × 1541
    png (4.76 MB)
  • Full Res, 2383 × 1837
    tif (6.37 MB)
  • 1000 × 770
    png (1.27 MB)
  • Full Res, 2383 × 1837
    png (3.4 MB)
SN 2001ig in NGC 7424
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3/UVIS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F275W Red: F336W

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.

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Compass Image for NGC 7424

Compass Image for NGC 7424

Seventeen years ago, astronomers witnessed supernova 2001ig go off 40 million light-years away in the galaxy NGC 7424, in the southern constellation Grus, the Crane. Shortly after SN 2001ig exploded, scientists photographed the supernova with the European Southern Observatory’s...

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

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

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