This is a Hubble Space Telescope composite image of a supernova explosion designated SN 2014J in the galaxy M82. At a distance of approximately 11.5 million light-years from Earth it is the closest supernova of its type discovered in the past few decades. The explosion is categorized as a Type Ia supernova, which is theorized to be triggered in binary systems consisting of a white dwarf and another star – which could be a second white dwarf, a star like our Sun, or a giant star.
Astronomers using a ground-based telescope discovered the explosion on January 21, 2014. This Hubble photograph was taken on January 31, as the supernova approached its peak brightness. The Hubble data are expected to help astronomers refine distance measurements to Type Ia supernovae. In addition, the observations could yield insights into what kind of stars were involved in the explosion. Hubble's ultraviolet-light sensitivity will allow astronomers to probe the environment around the site of the supernova explosion and in the interstellar medium of the host galaxy.
Because of their consistent peak brightness, Type Ia supernovae are among the best tools to measure distances in the universe. They were fundamental to the 1998 discovery of the mysterious acceleration of the expanding universe. A hypothesized repulsive force, called dark energy, is thought to cause the acceleration.
The January 31 image, shown here as an inset, was taken in visible light with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3. This image was superimposed into a photo mosaic of the entire galaxy taken in 2006 with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys.
Among the other major NASA space-based observatories used in the M82 viewing campaign are Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer, and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
Credits
NASA, ESA, A. Goobar (Stockholm University), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | SN 2014J and M82, NGC 3034 |
| Object Description | Starburst Galaxy and Supernova |
| R.A. Position | 09h 55m 52.72s |
| Dec. Position | 69° 40' 45.76" |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 11.5 million light-years (3.5 million parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Galaxy M82: The pre-supernova data are from Hubble proposal : M. Mountain (STScI), J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin-Madison), P. Puxley (Gemini Observatory), and the Hubble Heritage Team: K. Noll (NASA/GSFC), C. Christian, L. Frattare, F. Hamilton, Z. Levay, M. Mutchler, W. Januszewski, and T. Royle (STScI/AURA), and H. Bond (STScI/Pennsylvania State University). Inset supernova image: The post-supernova data are from Hubble proposal : A. Goobar and R. Amanullah (Stockholm University), Y. Cao (Caltech), and P. Nugent (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). |
| Instrument | HST>ACS/WFC (galaxy), HST>WFC3/UVIS (supernova) |
| Exposure Dates | March 27-29, 2006, Exposure Time: 13.7 hours (galaxy), January 31, 2014, Exposure Time: 1.5 seconds (supernova) |
| Filters | Galaxy M82: F435W (B), F555W (V), F658N (H-alpha), and F814W (I) Inset supernova image: F438W (B), F555W (V), and F814W (I) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This composite image includes exposures acquired by the WFC3 and ACS instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample broad wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Galaxy M82: Blue: F435W (B) Green: F555W (V) Orange: F658N (H-alpha) Red: F814W (I) Inset supernova image: Blue: F438W (B) Green: F555W (V) Red: F814W (I) |
| 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. |
