The brightest and closest stellar explosion seen from Earth in 25 years, dazzling professional and backyard astronomers alike.
Now, thanks to this rare discovery—which some have called the “supernova of a generation” — astronomers have the most detailed picture yet of how this kind of explosion happens.
Known as a Type Ia supernova, this type of blast is an essential tool that allows scientists to measure the expansion of the universe and understand the very nature of the cosmos.
The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) team discovered the supernova in one of the arms of the Pinwheel Galaxy (also called M101), 21 million light years away.
