Timely news across my monitor as I am reading astronomy this semester.
Brightest supernova in decades serves up cosmic clues for astronomers!
IN the reverse print, the super nova is the star defined by the two tickmarks
(Photo by Joseph Brimacombe) - The Pinwheel supernova, known as SN2011FE, was a Type 1a, of special interest to astronomers.
SN 2011fe in Messier 101 (NGC 5457)
2011, September 4 update
Discovered 2011/08/24 by P. Nugent & all - Palomar Transient Factory (report in ATel #3581) - See also CBET2792 - Type Ia
Coordinates (2000.0) : R.A. = 14h03m05s.81, Decl. = +54°16'25".4
For those with good binoculars and/or amateur telescopes that information line will allow you to locate the self-immolating star. That is, of course, if the remnants of TS Lee haven’t left your overhead obscured by clouds of water vapor.
Here’s a slightly different entry concerning the event.
And yet another, demonstrating that gender and location matter not.
These explosions happen somewhat frequently in cosmologic time lines but rather rarely in human awareness. The last such event took place, for us, 25 years ago and was not visible in the Northern Hemisphere. This event is not visible in the Southern Hemisphere. For many amateur astronomers this is a once in a lifetime event! I’ve never seen a newly discovered supernova. I’m fortunate in living outside major light pollution areas. I have good binoculars and a very cheap amateur telescope.
Even TS Lee should not impede my chance to view SN 2011fe. The authorities expect it to continue to brighten for the next several days.
Given the random nature of things that drive my entries, perhaps we will return to this subject.
Happy Labor Day to workers with no jobs. If you have any hope for jobs returning to the U.S. from their current overseas locations, do not vote for any teavangelists or GOPers!
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