Who's Watching the Supernova in M101?

[rabbithutch]

I just read an article in USA Today that says there is a supernova occurring in one of the pinwheel arms of M101. This is probably old news to everyone here but me, but I hope some of the AP experts will image it for those of us who will miss it.

[yeti monster]

I'm hoping that it will become bright enough to pierce the clouds....

[stolenfeather]

I can only hope that the clouds aren't around tomorrow night. I have classes to teach tonight and can't stargaze.

Isabelle

[JKB]

My efforts at capturing it HERE

Cheers

[valleyman]

Clouds, Clouds and more Clouds. South Wales

[faulksy]

My efforts at capturing it HERE

Cheers

very nice mate

[callisto]

No chance of observing it here with this weather

[Brent]

I'm hoping that it will become bright enough to pierce the clouds....

Made me chuckle

My efforts at capturing it HERE

Cheers

Excellent - I really hope the cloud goes before it does - I want to try to image it myself!

[jonathan]

I'm afraid I don't know that part of the sky much at all so probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and anything else that's normally there.

M101 sounds like a good target anyway, might see if I can find it in my 8SE when the moon is gone. Just my luck if there's a tree in the way!

[Nova]

Id love to have a go at finding it but the weather is against me and has been since sunday last week

[coffee_prince]

same here, not a peep at all in a week now

[stolenfeather]

I tried to see it last night but had trouble with the glow of the Gibbous moon. I will try again tonight but with binoculars first. Maybe this will make a difference.

Isabelle

[umadog]

However well you know the sky there, you'll still need a photo of the galaxy to figure out which star is the SN. I found it quite hard, actually. There are a lot of field stars and from more light polluted areas only the galaxy core is visible.

[stolenfeather]

The supernova should be as bright (or close to) the galaxy core right? It's supposed to look like a bright star to the right of the galaxy. At least, that's what I read recently.

Isabelle

[Si W]

Clouds, Clouds and more Clouds. South Wales

Same as in Manchester, Gutted

[umadog]

There are several bright stars near the galaxy so you'll need a chart. You'll want one with a scale and orientation (North and East), because it's easy to get confused. To the "right" doesn't help much because it's ambiguous. The scope may or may not invert the view in that dimension. Also, the FOV will rotate as the night progresses.

[stolenfeather]

I thought that this might be helpful: --- click HERE

This particular site offers a video: ---> click HERE

Mind you, if there are clouds like my region right now,... one sees nothing!

Isabelle

[umadog]

There are plenty of handy images on this thread. A lot of them show a more zoomed-out view so you can orient yourself at lower powers. Telescope Reviews: SN 2011fe in M101 Type Ia

[Gem stone]

I've just been able to see this in North Wales! So happy!

[onlyme]

all I have managed to observe so far are super clouds

[Astromart]

I looked up & saw Ursa Major clearly so I went inside, upstairs, got my binos, went downstairs, went back outside and .............

AAAARRRGGGGGHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!

Clouds .........

[NAFK]

I spent quite some time hunched over my scope on Sunday morning trying to find this. I had lovely clear skies in rural Fife, but the almost-full moon was too strong an opponent.

I could only resolve as far as magnitude 7 at best. Near-pathological wishful thinking aside, I couldn't even make out M101 itself let alone the magnitude 11 supernova.

I have heard people say this event is visible through binoculars. I must say I'm struggling to believe this, unless they mean it's visible through binoculars on a crystal clear, moonless night, from the top of a stepladder perched on the summit of Everest*.

*lengths to which I am unwilling to go

[661-pete]

from the top of a stepladder perched on the summit of Everest*.

*lengths to which I am unwilling to go

You mean, you're only prepared to go up to the third step? Very wise...

[JoLo]

I tried to track it down last night with my 4" refractor, but between the moon and the LP toward the NW from my house, I couldn't even get a wisp of M101. Tonight I am going to my dark site and try to image it...will still have the moon to deal with, but at least the LP will be better. Here in central IL, looking cloudy for this weekend, but tonight is crystal clear...wanna give it go while I can.

If I manage to get it, will post here....

Joe

[kniclander]

from my very LP'd London garden I have never seen even a hint of the galaxy but it's position is a very easy starhop from Mizar (I've done it under dark skies with a smallish scope). The supernova itself was actualy quite easy to see in my 10" dob once I'd found it but finding it was hard - I used cartes du ciel with the corrected newtonian view and the eyepiece circles to identify it. Ironically, i think the LP actually helped becasue there were less stars to confuse me.