NASA Spacecraft Takes Aim at Nearby Supernova

When four undergraduate students and astronomer Steve Fossey at the University of London Observatory participated in a 10-minute telescope workshop, the last thing they expected to find was a stellar explosion that identified one of the closest supernovae of its kind to be seen in decades.

The exploding star – tagged "SN 2014J" - was spotted in nearby galaxy Messier 82 [M82] on January 21, 2014. The researchers found it to be a mere 11.4 million light-years away from Earth. Astronomers at observatories around the world have suggested that the supernova is a type-la supernova, which represents the complete demolition of a white dwarf star. This explosion could have been caused by the collision of two white dwarf stars, or a white dwarf pulling matter away from a neighboring star until it absorbed enough nuclear fusion to cause the star to explode.

Although 11.4 million light-years away from Earth may sound far, it's a relatively small distance when compared to other supernovae found in other galaxies. Despite the fact that SN 2014J is not too far away, dense dust clouds weaken the light given off by the explosion, which affects the overall brightness of the supernova. This will give astronomers an opportunity to examine how interstellar dust affects the brightness of supernovae as seen from Earth.

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