Even more emails from more professional astronomers. One describes this an "an unprecedented event". There are a lot of big telescopes looking at this.
The spectra and some early speculation has been sent to CBAT for a CBET to be issued. Once that announcement is officially made I will post it here.
This maybe turn out to be cutting-edge astronomy or maybe Stu found the equivalent of an old peoples home of stars about to go supernova. Either way for a bunch of amateurs to be kept so regularly in the loop by the professional astronomers really says a lot about how valuable amateur work can be. IIS are hearing about this as best we can safely report way ahead of any other astro chat sites and it is months ahead of what could potentially end up in the likes of Sky & Tel and the science journals. So at this stage we can't just copy and paste exactly what the emails we are seeing contain, it's rather like being privvy to a chat group of professional astronomers exchanging data, ideas and speculation.
I wish I could print some of them because you can feel their excitement.
Mike, now would be a good time to do an IIS interview with Stu Parker, he really is at the top of his game.
Australian Sky & Tel should also be looking at an update from Stu and BOSS. Sure blowing our own trumpet but this is amateur astronomy shining.
Thanks to all here for your posts, very much appreciated!
Just got this and hopefully it helps with Steffens question.
Astronomers are hoping to reduce alignment errors to around 0.1arc second or better, if they are even slightly shifted at this level then they are not physically related - just a coincidence.
The search begins for a massive host star cluster - the old people's home of superstars about to depart.
HI All,
here's an interesting comparison.
The top image was taken using the 2m Faulkes Telescope South at Siding Springs on 31 July 2012 and shows the PSN that was discovered 6 days earlier.
The image below is Stu's PSN discovered yesterday. I enlarged his image a bit to show the co-incident location of the new PSN, almost 1 year to the day later!
Yes very exciting indeed
Here is a scratchy image due to poor seeing.Not my best work.Hope for better when the seeing clears up
BTW not many Amateurs get to release a ATel another first for the BOSS group
Stu
Well done. I was impressed with the ATel as well. I didn't realise they were special until after I had one also and had comments form other amateurs.
Keep them coming!
HI All,
here's an interesting comparison.
The top image was taken using the 2m Faulkes Telescope South at Siding Springs on 31 July 2012 and shows the PSN that was discovered 6 days earlier.
The image below is Stu's PSN discovered yesterday. I enlarged his image a bit to show the co-incident location of the new PSN, almost 1 year to the day later!
Greg, I overlaid the Faulkes image rotated with the image from Stu scaled to get this.
Thanks Andrew, yes i did the same yesterday as a check after Stu notified me.
Unfortunately, poor seeing conditions affect Stu's image so it is hard to see clearly how well the position of each PSN lines up....the final position of Stu's SN is one issue of several others that the professional community are attempting to determine right now.
Location: '34 South' Young Hilltops LGA, Australia
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Congratulations STU and the BOSS team. More outstanding work!
I am wondering if spectral analysis will give a definitive answer. Just postulating here that when a star goes SN, it is blowing off material changing its mass and increasing production of heavier elements so I'd intuitively expect the second outburst of supernova to have at least slightly if not significantly different spectra to the first outburst.
stu peter am using 14"sct with g-star sense up 256 approx 5 sec frames video watching your find.faint not as bright as core of 6984,but is visable against one of the spiral arms....woohoo what a find for you guys.
peter do you remember my son lachlan he's here pointing it out on the monitor explaining it to 7 year old..isn't astronomy wonderful!!!!!!!!
do you think it will brighten over the coming days????
Quote "I am wondering if spectral analysis will give a definitive answer. Just postulating here that when a star goes SN, it is blowing off material changing its mass and increasing production of heavier elements so I'd intuitively expect the second outburst of supernova to have at least slightly if not significantly different spectra to the first outburst"
Joe Cali
Hi Joe
that's a very good point. Interesting that this one is typed a 1b/c as against a 1c for the one last year, it may well turn out to be a different object, perhaps another of a cluster of ageing stars. I don't really know what happens to a star after the 1c phase other than we are told it is supposed to be terminal, where are you madbadgalaxyman?
Astronomers are saying there is something "funny" going on and in a couple of days they will have a better idea. BOSS are starting to follow the new object scenario. Don't you just love this stuff, its great when it gets to this level.
peter do you remember my son lachlan he's here pointing it out on the monitor explaining it to 7 year old..isn't astronomy wonderful!!!!!!!!
do you think it will brighten over the coming days????
Wow Mozzie, that's the among the best news on this thread - I wonder what he is thinking while seeing star on the screen that has obliterated itself?
I doubt it will get brighter, one theory is if this is the same object it may belong to a family of supernova known as "fast decliners" on the other hand your son sounds like a fast learner! Why not he has a great coach!
Keep it up Mozzie, we need more of him (and hers) after hearing on a Brisbane FM radio station last night that 78 percent of respondents believe the Moon landings to be a hoax. So sad that ignorance can replace incredible achievement.
Wow Mozzie, that's the among the best news on this thread - I wonder what he is thinking while seeing star on the screen that has obliterated itself?
I doubt it will get brighter, one theory is if this is the same object it may belong to a family of supernova known as "fast decliners" on the other hand your son sounds like a fast learner! Why not he has a great coach!
Keep it up Mozzie, we need more of him (and hers) after hearing on a Brisbane FM radio station last night that 78 percent of respondents believe the Moon landings to be a hoax. So sad that ignorance can replace incredible achievement.
hi peter,
are you going to astrofest this year....lachlan is keen to ask you questions on this event..he's going a thousand miles an hour with excitment...uummm and a little worried about our sun exploding but i'm trying to re ashore him we are safe gotta love kids..
Hi Mozzie
Well according to Bockie last night the SN had brightened a fair bit.
This is very likely a new event and just incredibly close at less than 1 arc second to the one a year ago.
Wont be at Astrofest as will be at Leyburn this year.
Hi Mozzie
Well according to Bockie last night the SN had brightened a fair bit.
This is very likely a new event and just incredibly close at less than 1 arc second to the one a year ago.
Wont be at Astrofest as will be at Leyburn this year.
bummer pete was hoping to catch up...i'll have another look tomorrow night to see if it has brightened at all...
does anyone know the distance of this galaxy from earth???
At that distance the 0.1 arc seconds resolution we're hoping for is a tad over 100ly. So even at that resolution we still won't be able to tell whether it's the same star or a neighbouring one?
