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Supernova 2012Z in Spiral Galaxy NGC 1309
The inset panel is a pair of Hubble Space Telescope images of the spiral galaxy NGC 1309 that were taken before and after the appearance of Supernova 2012Z, in the outskirts of the galaxy. The white X-shaped feature at the top of the image of the galaxy marks the location of the supernova.
The inset panel from 2013 shows the supernova; archival Hubble data from 2005 and 2006 show the progenitor system for the supernova, thought to be a binary system containing a helium star transferring material to a white dwarf that exploded.
The stellar blast is a member of a unique class of supernova called Type Iax. These supernovae are less energetic, and hence fainter, on average, than their well-known cousins, Type Ia supernovae, which also originate from exploding white dwarfs in binary systems.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.03h 22m 05s.2880
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-15° 23' 49".34
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Eridanus
- DistanceDistanceThe 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.100 million light-years (30 Megaparsecs)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData 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.Hubble data for this release were obtained from the following proposals: 10497, 10802, 11570, and 12880: A. Riess (JHU/STScI) et al. 10711: K. Noll (NASA/GSFC) et al. 12913: S. Jha (Rutgers University) et al. The science team comprises: C. McCully and S. Jha (Rutgers University), R. Foley (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), L. Bildsten (University of California, Santa Barbara/ Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics) W.-f. Fong and R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian/CfA), G. Marion (University of Texas, Austin and Harvard-Smithsonian/CfA), A. Riess (JHU/STScI) and M. Stritzinger (Aarhus University, Denmark). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>ACS/WFC and HST>WFC3/UVIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.2005 - 2006 and 2013
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.NGC 1309 and 2005-2006 inset image: ACS/WFC: F435W (B) F555W (V), and F814W (I) 2013 inset image: WFC3/UVIS: F555W (V); F625W (R), and F814W (I)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Supernova 2012Z, NGC 1309
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Supernova in Spiral Galaxy
- Release DateAugust 6, 2014
- Science ReleaseNASA’s Hubble Finds Supernova Star System Linked to Potential ‘Zombie Star’
- Credit
This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS/WFC and WFC3/UVIS instruments. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image as follows: Image of NGC 1309 and 2005-2006 inset image: Blue: F435W (B) Green: F555W (V) Red: F814W (I) 2013 inset image: Blue: F555W (V) Green: F625W (R) Red: F814W (I)
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
