Nova

Bright Nova in Sagittarius

Washed-out Astronomer — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 17:12:00 +0000

A bright nova in our local galaxy was discovered on July 7th by Koichi Nishiyama and Fujio Kabashima and has been assigned the preliminary name of PNV J18202726-2744263 or Nova Sagittarii 2012 No. 4. It is currently at magnitude 7.7, putting it well within reach of urban astronomers using only binoculars or small telescopes.

It is located between Sagittarius' teapot's spout and top, so it will be somewhat low on the horizon for mid-latitude northern observers. Add hazy summer nights, light pollution, and an area crowded with lots of Milky Way stars, and you may not find it so easy to locate this nova. To assist you, I've generated a complete set of AAVSO finder charts.

Another Urban Supernova

Washed-out Astronomer — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:56:22 +0000

Amazing! Another supernova within reach of urban amateur astronomers has appeared in galaxy M101 in Ursa Major. Supernova SN 2011fe (also known by its preliminary name of PTF11kly) is already brighter than SN 2011dn at maximum. As of August 28^th, it had reached magnitude 11.7 and was still brightening at roughly half a magnitude a day. Some predictions have SN 2011fe potentially surpassing 10^th magnitude, making it a fantastic opportunity to view a supernova even in small telescopes. I've generated some finder charts to help you see SN 2011fe; however, you have to act fast if you want to see this supernova...

An Urban Supernova

Washed-out Astronomer — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:05:50 +0000

A new supernova, SN 2011dh, has appeared in M51 that is at this time (June 2011) visible from typical urban and suburban skies using moderately sized telescopes. This is a unique opportunity to see a star from another galaxy without having to travel to a dark-sky site. It is rare for an extragalactic supernova to appear as bright as this, and even rarer for it to appear in a relatively well known and easily located galaxy such as M51. And not only that, but it is well position for observing in the early evenings, making it an easy target in later June when the moon is well past full. Even with a nearly full moon, I've found SN 2011dh easy to see with my 10 inch Dob. I've generated some finder charts to make it easy for anyone to locate this supernova....