Community Corner
Chabot Astronomer Captures Image of Supernova
People can see it on Friday and Saturday nights through the center's telescope.
Chabot Space & Science Center Astronomer Conrad Jung captured this image of a supernova explosion in the Whirlpool Galaxy with the center's 36-inch reflector telescope on July 8.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, weather permitting, people can see The Whirlpool Galaxy (among other objects) through Chabot’s giant, historic telescopes, free of charge.
The supernova was first noticed by a French amateur astronomer on May 31, 2011. It is now dimming but was at its brightest around June 24.
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The Whirlpool Galaxy is approximately 25 million light-years from Earth and is moving away from Earth at about 400 miles per second.
It is located in the constellation Canes Venatici, near the Big Dipper.
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The image on the left shows The Whirlpool Galaxy in 2009. The image on the right highlights the supernova as it appeared on July 8.
The supernova’s name is currently designated as SN 2011dh.
A supernova occurs when a massive star (much larger than our Sun) has exhausted its fuel and collapses. It violently explodes, spewing heavy elements into space. When a star goes supernova, it can result in a black hole at its center.
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