This Hubble Space Telescope photo composite shows the location of supernova 1993J inside the majestic spiral galaxy M81. Though astronomers saw the star explode as a supernova 21 years ago, the glow of that explosion is still present, as seen in the inset image. The supernova has faded to the point where astronomers are confident that they have picked up the ultraviolet glow of a very hot companion star. This is the first time astronomers have been able to put constraints on the properties of the companion star in this unusual class of supernova called Type IIb. Hubble observations in ultraviolet light confirm the theory that the explosion originated in a double-star system where one star fueled the mass-loss from the aging primary star.
Credits
NASA, ESA, A. Zezas (CfA), and A. Filippenko (UC Berkeley);Acknowledgment: Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA);
Science: NASA, ESA, and O. Fox (University of California, Berkeley), A. Bostroem (STScI), S. Van Dyk (Caltech), A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), T. Matheson (NOAO), S. Cenko (University of California, Berkeley, and NASA/GSFC), P. Chandra (National Center for Radio Astrophysics/Pune University, India), V. Dwarkadas (University of Chicago), W. Li and A. Parker (University of California, Berkeley), and N. Smith (Steward Observatory)
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | SN 1993J, Supernova 1993J |
| Object Description | Supernova in M81 |
| R.A. Position | 09h 55m 24.78s |
| Dec. Position | 69° 1' 13.68" |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 11 million light-years (3,600,000 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Note: The wide-field image of M81 was released on May 28, 2007. ACS/WFC data from proposal (PI: A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)) was combined into a BVI color-composite image. Hubble data for this release of SN 1993J were obtained from proposal : A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), P. Chandra (Pune University, India), R. Chevalier (University of Virginia), V. Dwarkadas (University of Chicago), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), W. Li (University of California, Berkeley) T. Matheson (NOAO), J. Silverman (University of Texas, Austin), N. Smith (Steward Observatory), and S. Van Dyk (Caltech). The science team comprises: O. Fox (University of California, Berkeley), A. Bostroem (STScI), S. Van Dyk (Caltech), A. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), T. Matheson (NOAO), S. Cenko (University of California, Berkeley, and NASA/GSFC), P. Chandra (Pune University, India), V. Dwarkadas (University of Chicago), W. Li and A. Parker (University of California, Berkeley), and N. Smith (Steward Observatory). |
| Instrument | HST>WFC3/UVIS |
| Exposure Dates | December 24, 2011 |
| Filters | Galaxy M81 image: F435W (B), F606W (V), and F814W (I) Inset image: F438W (B), F555W (V), and F625W (r) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | The galaxy M81 image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Three filters were used to sample light from broad wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F435W (B) Green: F606W (V) Red: F814W (I) The inset image of SN 1993J is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS/WFC instrument. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image as follows: Blue: F438W (B) Green: F555W (V) Red: F625W (r) |
| Compass Image |  |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
