Friday, August 26, 2011

Brightest Supernova in 40 Years Appears

Brightest supernova in 40 years appears "Berkeley scientists this week discovered a new supernova, closer to Earth than any seen in the last 40 years, and believe they've spotted it within hours of its explosion."

"Within 12 hours of its discovery, PTF 11kly had been observed by other telescopes around the globe, and it was found tobelong to the Type Ia category. Indeed, this is the earliest spectrum ever taken of a Type Ia supernova."

It's in the Big Dipper. "The supernova is still getting brighter, and may even be visible with good binoculars in ten days' time. "The best time to see this exploding star will be just after evening twilight in the Northern hemisphere in a week or so," says Sullivan. "You'll need dark skies and a good pair of binoculars, although a small telescope would be even better.""

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