Comments on: Spectacular site for Supernova 2012A

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:21:04 +0000

Ben,
Over 800 supernovae discovered last year and over 100 already this year. Most are very far and faint.
see more here:
http://www.rochesterastronomy.com/snimages

By: Ben H.

Ben H. — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:42:27 +0000

Phil,
Your post implies that we regularly find a supernova every week – otherwise you wouldn’t say its rare to go the first week of the year without finding one. Is this really true? There are 50 or so supernova every year? I feel like I would be hearing about more of them if this was the case.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:18:18 +0000

Any one know who found #1 of the year? was it some big search team or just some guy in his or her back yard?

By: Our Galaxy’s Next Supernova | My Blog

Our Galaxy’s Next Supernova | My Blog — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:37:30 +0000

[...] progressing this week, a first supernova of a year was discovered, in a universe 25 million light years away, NGC 3239. The supernova, indicated [...]

By: browolf

browolf — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:49:30 +0000

That barred spiral is known as CGCG 094-042
http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nph-objsearch?search_type=Obj_id&objid=22912&objname=1&img_stamp=YES&hconst=73.0&omegam=0.27&omegav=0.73&corr_z=1

can’t find any better pics of it tho.

By: René

René — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:26:25 +0000

Did anyone spot the group of 3 galaxies in the top left corner? Seem to be circling each other (same yellowish colour).. Maybe they’ll merge one day? (if they are really that close together)..

Amazing picture no matter what!!

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:33:30 +0000

The barred spiral in the bottom left corner of the cropped photo has caught my eye – one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. Don’t suppose anyone has any idea what it might be and if there are any better photos of it?

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:15:19 +0000

Great image, great write -up & superluminous news! Cheers!

@3. Jeff : ” .. This one , may not be visible to naked eye?”

No, sadly SN2012A won’t be anywhere near bright enough to be visible with unaided human eyesight given its vast distance from us of 25 million light years or so. In fact the BA notes its only visible telescopically – don’t think you could spot it in binoculars even. Unsure exactly what its apparent magnitude is though.

@4. Lugosi :

I’m guessing that if sn 2012a had planets with life, they found the supernova to be somewhat LESS than spectacular.

Its highly unlikely that any habitable planets existed around the star that went supernovae given that it was a high mass short-lived star. That star would evolved very quickly not giving life time to develop and may not even have had planets at all if its its strong stellar winds destroyed any protoplanetary disk before they could’ve formed. Of course, Supernova 2012A would potentially spell big trouble for any nearby neighbouring planetary systems that could have had life.

@5. Brian : “Champagne supernova!”

Imagine, if they found huge quantities of alcohol in the spectrum!

(Click on my name for the song.)

By: Bloob

Bloob — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:13:26 +0000

Both images have the spot you pointed to as well. I think it has tiny optical spikes too. Perhaps you means the dimmer spot to the bottom-left of that one? That one I can’t find on the noao photo.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:26:00 +0000

This light started out about half way between dinosaurs and man.