Super Nova? Collision?

[Bluemoonjim]

I may be opening myself to ridicule here  but I think I have just witnessed something amazing. I have been trying to image the Squid Nebula this evening and just saw an image of streak of light and then becoming a bright star. Which is still there.  Has anyone else seen this or am I completely deluded and seeing some sort of optical illusion? 

[Bluemoonjim]

It's getting brighter. Anyone else witnessing this?

 

[Paul M]

Not sure about streaks, there wouldn't usually be streaks emanating from a supernova explosion. Supernovae usually brighten over hours and days.

But I can't see what you can! 

Does the star appear on any photos or star charts?

[Bluemoonjim]

The streak did not come from the star but created the star...so to speak. As though there was some kind of collision

 

[Paul M]

Might be some kind of laser interferometry/range finding thing. Observatories sometimes fire lasers at the nights sky to measure the steadiness of the atmosphere and adjust telescope optics in real time to improve the image.

That could give a streak and a spot at infinity or the perspective vanishing point.

Edited December 10, 2023 by Paul M

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Could you post an image please?

Certainly doesn't deserve ridicule, it's interesting if something is showing up in your image. But it could well be some kind of optical artifact. I once had something that looked like a comet in a chain of subs but turned out to be a reflection from a bright star a little out of frame. Another time I had an odd artifact from an IR security light on a camera. Measured skepticism is probably the right approach, but dismissal wouldn't be.

A streak doesn't sound right for, say, a supernova as it is a point source, unless a very bright transient or cosmic ray caused a column to saturate.

[Bluemoonjim]

I will post image asap. I'm actually still imaging. So will be able to show before and after

 

[Knight of Clear Skies]

1 minute ago, Bluemoonjim said:

I will post image asap. I'm actually still imaging. So will be able to show before and after

 

Thanks. If you put an image up I could have a go at plate-solving it, then look on SIMBAD to see if there is anything interesting there.

https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-fid

[Paul M]

It's quiet on this thread, Me thinks hundreds of SGL imagers are no all over The Squid hoping to submit their supernova claim

I think it should be called SN 2023SGL , to recognise the collaboration.

[Bluemoonjim]

I'm sure this would have been picked up by someone if it is actually out there. I think this must be some kind of optical glitch either in my image train or in the capture software. Very strange. This needs some investigation. Maybe a firefly in my 'scope
 

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Hard to say really without seeing any images. Amateurs do pick up transient events while imaging from time to time.

[Adam J]

43 minutes ago, Bluemoonjim said:

I may be opening myself to ridicule here  but I think I have just witnessed something amazing. I have been trying to image the Squid Nebula this evening and just saw an image of streak of light and then becoming a bright star. Which is still there.  Has anyone else seen this or am I completely deluded and seeing some sort of optical illusion? 

 

6 minutes ago, Bluemoonjim said:

I'm sure this would have been picked up by someone if it is actually out there. I think this must be some kind of optical glitch either in my image train or in the capture software. Very strange. This needs some investigation. Maybe a firefly in my 'scope
 

even a screen shot would help. 

[Ed in UK]

13 hours ago, Bluemoonjim said:

I may be opening myself to ridicule here  but I think I have just witnessed something amazing. I have been trying to image the Squid Nebula this evening and just saw an image of streak of light and then becoming a bright star. Which is still there.  Has anyone else seen this or am I completely deluded and seeing some sort of optical illusion? 

Don't dismiss it, everything has to be discovered by someone...

[Bluemoonjim]