Friday, January 31, 2014

M-82 Sports an Exploding Star






M81 (left) and M82 (right). are two galaxies in the M81 Group, a group of 34 galaxies located in the constellation Ursa Major.  (Image and notes from Wikipedia)


Supernova 2014J

 

On January 22, 2014 a supernova was discovered in M-82. This companion galaxy to M-81, which had sported a supernova in 1993, lies in Ursa Major. At 11.4 million light years distance, it is the closest to earth supernova in 40 years (M-81 is 11.7 million light years away). Having reached its peak brightness today, it will soon begin to fade. Here is the link for an armchair view:


Sadly the sky is not cooperating here in Southern California. The usual springtime mists and low clouds have made searching for newly discovered Supernova 2014J impossible. By the time the sky clears, it might be too late but if you are where the skies are clear, the link above shows a sky map as well as highlights of the supernova's week of brightening. 

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