Supernova discovered in M101 tonight

[powerlord]

There's a comment in Randall Munroe's What If book:

Questions: Which of the following would be brighter, in terms of the amount of energy delivered to your retina:

- A supernova, seen from as far away as the Sun is from the Earth, or

- The detonation of a hydrogen bomb pressed against your eyeball?

A: the supernova by NINE ORDERS OF MAGINTUDE

I can't help think about all the poor aliens. However... is it a coincidence that it was 21 million light years away - precisely the same time ago as our ancestors mysteriously appeared ? Or did they all escape to earth on a planet wide speed of light evacuation ? I think I know which I believe*

 

 

*er..coincidence.

Edited June 8, 2023 by powerlord

[John]

Observed the SN again tonight with my 102mm refractor. My estimate of it's brightness is magnitude 11.3 this evening. I think the transparency might be better tonight ?

I could see the core of Messier 101 and, using averted vision, got a few glimpses of the nearby galaxy NGC 5474 which is considered the closest of M 101's companion galaxies and has been distorted by gravitational effects from the larger galaxy.

NGC 5474 seems an interesting galaxy - I'll come back to it under a darker sky when I have more aperture to hand.

 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, John said:

Observed the SN again tonight with my 102mm refractor. My estimate of it's brightness is magnitude 11.3 this evening. I think the transparency might be better tonight ?

I could see the core of Messier 101 and, using averted vision, got a few glimpses of the nearby galaxy NGC 5474 which is considered the closest of M 101's companion galaxies and has been distorted by gravitational effects from the larger galaxy.

NGC 5474 seems an interesting galaxy - I'll come back to it under a darker sky when I have more aperture to hand.

 

Good stuff John.

Are you able to check if I spotted it based on this post? Was tough from here as the light pollution is worse than at home.

Thanks 🙏 

[chiltonstar]

Certainly a nice one. It has been visible even in my 15x70s at peak. I used my ED80 last night away from the village lights, and it was still an easily visible stella point with averted vision.

Shame it didn't reach the same brightness as the 2011 SN in M101 though.

Chris

[John]

8 hours ago, Stu said:

Good stuff John.

Are you able to check if I spotted it based on this post? Was tough from here as the light pollution is worse than at home.

Thanks 🙏 

I'm pretty sure you got it and I've posted in that thread 🙂

[Stu]

Thanks All.

I’ll give it a go from home at the weekend where it’s darker and now I’m familiar with where it is. Hopefully it should be a bit easier from there. Can try a larger and smaller scope too.