A portion of the Hubble Deep Field. Two observations of the same part of the sky. 1995 reels a bright star that is no longer there in the 2002 observation. This animated gif cycles between the two images making the supernova appear to blink on and off.

Hubble Observations of a Supernova in the Deep Field

Certain supernovas have a characteristic maximum brightness that can be used to calculate their distances from Earth. Refining celestial distances enables astronomers to better calculate the expansion rate of the universe. The arrow points to a distant supernova discovered in an area of the sky first imaged in 1995 called the Hubble Deep Field. Astronomers found the supernova when they targeted the same area of sky again in 2002 and saw a change.

Credits: NASA and J. Blakeslee (JHU)