Supernovae
Supernova SN 2024gy and asteroid (464) Megaira in Virgo, Apr. 28, 2024
The skies had turned cloudy after shooting my first object Sunday night,
but I wanted to try for SN 2024gy in NGC 4216 even though it was first discovered in January 2024
and had probably faded.
Looking at the images on my iPad as they were coming in,
I was not hopeful I would get anything useful due to the clouds.
I was only able to get 13 images of 90 seconds before the clouds shut me down.
After stacking the images, the supernova did show up but faintly at magnitude 16.
Since I had photographed NGC 4216 back in May of 2016,
I decided to make an animated gif to show the before and after view of the supernova.
As I was looking at the animation, I noticed something unexpected.
There was another object blinking on and off. I had to figure out what the new object was.
After checking, I determined it was not a variable star or nova.
Then I started checking to see if it might be an asteroid.
I checked the Minor Planet Center's website.
Sure enough, it was (464) Megaira shining around magnitude 15.2.
I love finding unexpected objects in my photos!
If you examine the animated gif above,
look closely at the left side of the bright spiral galaxy in the middle.
You will see SN 2024gy flashing on and off.
Asteroid Megaira is the flashing object bottom left not too far above smaller spiral galaxy NGC 4206.
Details:
Location: Front yard Cary, NC
Camera: SBIG ST402me and ASI294mc pro
Exposure: 2016 20 x 60s, 2024 13 x 90s
Filter: UV/IR
Scope: TeleVue Genesis 4" f/5 refractor
Mount: 2016 Losmandy G-11, 2024 iOptron GEM45
Guider: Orion 60mm finder/guider
Capture software: Maxim DL, ASIAir
Guiding software: PHD, ASIAir
Calibration frames: darks, flats, flat-dark
Processing software: Pixinsight, Photoshop CC, GIF animator
Weather conditions: High clouds temp around 65F
Notes: 2016 image is uncropped, the 2024 image was cropped.
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Supernova in M101, May 21, 2023
Supernova 2023ixf in spiral galaxy M101.
This animated gif shows SN 2023ixf brightening to magnitude 11.1.
The first image is from June 13, 2020.
The second image was taken May 21, 2023
Click on the image for a larger view in a new window.
Details:
Location: Front yard Cary, NC
Camera: ASI294mc-Pro
Exposure: 2020 image 15 x 2min, 2023 image 20 x 2min gain 150
Filter: UV/IR, 2020 image used a CLS also
Scope: TeleVue Genesis 4" f/5 refractor
Mount: iOptron GEM-45
Guider: Orion 60mm finder/guider
Capture software: ASIair
Guiding software: ASIair
Calibration frames: darks, flats, flat-dark
Processing software: Pixinsight, Photoshop CC
Weather conditions: Clear but hazy (probably smoke from Canadian forest fires.) temps in 60s
Notes: Animation created in Photoshop CC.
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M51
M51 with supernova - July 3, 2010 no supernova and June 4, 2011 with the supernova. Both images taken with my 8" f/6 homemade Newt and a SBIG ST-402. The 2010 image is 26 x 2 min and the 2011 image is 12 x 2 min.
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SN 2009jf in NGC7479 - Nov. 2009 and May 2010
Supernova SN2009jf in NGC7479. The first part of the animation with the supernova was taken Nov. 7, 2009 at Bigwoods while testing out my new 8" f/6 Newtonian with the SBIG ST-402 camera. Each frame is make up of 24 x 15 second exposures (6 minutes) - unguided and dark subtracted only. The second part of the animation without the supernova was taken with a rented 12.5 inch f/9 RC scope at Lightbuckets in New Mexico. The camera was an Apogee Alta U16m. The exposures were 4 x 60 seconds.
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M82 - Jan. 31, 2014
M82 with SN 2014J. This image was captured with my Genesis refractor and my SBIG ST-402 camera from my driveway in Cary. I took 22 x 30 second exposures for a total of 11 minutes. The mount was tracking but I was not guiding. Temperature as 19 degrees.
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M65
M65 with supernova taken 3/28/2013 from Cary, NC. Taken with a Celestron C-11 at f/6.3 with a SBIG ST-402 camera. Exposure time 13 minutes. The sky was bright with a nearly full moon not far away. The SN is about 16th magnitude.
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M95
M95 with supernova taken April 8. 2012. 23 x 30 second exposures through the 8" f/6 Newtonian and the ST-402. The matching frame without the supernova was taken May 9, 2020 with my 4" Genesis.
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