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Credit & Copyright:
Image Data: Telescope Live (Chile); Image Processing & Copyright: Bernard Miller
Explanation:
What's happening in the lower arm of this spiral galaxy?
A supernova.
Last month, supernova
SN 2023rve was discovered with
UAE's Al-Khatim Observatory and later
found to be consistent with the death explosion of a massive star,
possibly leaving behind a
black hole.
Spiral galaxy
NGC 1097 is a relatively close 45 million
light years away and visible with a small telescope toward the southern constellation
of the Furnace
(Fornax).
The galaxy is notable not only for its
picturesque spiral arms,
but also for faint jets
consistent with ancient
star streams left over from a
galactic collision --
possibly with the small galaxy seen between its arms on the lower left.
The featured image highlights the new supernova by
blinking between two exposures taken several months apart.
Finding supernovas in nearby galaxies can be
important in determining the
scale and expansion rate of our
entire universe --
a topic currently of
unexpected tension and
much debate.
Image Data: Telescope Live (Chile); Image Processing & Copyright: Bernard Miller
APOD editor to speak:
in Houghton, Michigan on Thursday, October 12 at 6 pm
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: spiral galaxy - supernova
Publications with words: spiral galaxy - supernova
See also: