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List of supernovae facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Crab Nebula
SN 1054 remnant
(Crab Nebula)

This is a list of supernovae that are of historical significance. These include supernovae that were observed prior to the availability of photography, and individual events that have been the subject of a scientific paper that contributed to supernova theory.

An alternative, complete and updated list can be found in the Open Supernova Catalog. Recent supernovae can be found at Latest Supernovae. Supernovae in 2023 include SN 2023ixf in Messier 101 (May 2023), SN 2023idj in NGC 4568 (May 2023) and SN 2023gfo in NGC 4995 (April 2023).

List of supernovae

In most entries, the year when the supernova was seen is part of the designation (1st column).

Supernova
designation
(year)
Constellation Apparent
magnitude
Distance
(light years)
Type Galaxy Comments
&10000000000000185000000SN 185 Centaurus Template:Number table sorting/negative−4 (?) 9,100 &10000000000000001000000Ia (?) Milky Way Surviving description sketchy; modern estimates of maximum apparent magnitude vary from +4 to −8. The remnant is probably RCW 86, some 8200 ly distant, making it comparable to SN 1572. Some researchers have suggested it was a comet, not a supernova.
&10000000000000386000000SN 386 Sagittarius &10000000000000001500000+1.5 14,700 &10000000000000002000000II Milky Way "suggested SN", candidate remnant could be G11.2-0.3. There are three suggestions and doubtful if SN at all or classical nova or something else.
&10000000000000393000000SN 393 Scorpius &10000000000000000000000–0 3,400 &10000000000000002000000 II/Ib Milky Way "possible SN", could also be classical nova or something else
&10000000000001006000000SN 1006 Lupus Template:Number table sorting/negative–7.5 7,200 &10000000000000001000000Ia Milky Way Widely observed on Earth; in apparent magnitude, the brightest stellar event in recorded history.
&10000000000001054000000SN 1054 Taurus Template:Number table sorting/negative–6 6,500 &10000000000000002000000II Milky Way Remnant is the Crab Nebula with its pulsar (neutron star)
&10000000000001181000000SN 1181 Cassiopeia &100000000000000000000000 7,100 &10000000000000001000000sub-luminous Type Iax supernova Milky Way Remnant is Pa 30 with its hot stellar remnant
&10000000000001572000000SN 1572 Cassiopeia Template:Number table sorting/negative–4.0 8,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia Milky Way Tycho's Nova
&10000000000001604000000Kepler's Supernova Ophiuchus Template:Number table sorting/negative–3 14,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia Milky Way Kepler's Star; most recent readily visible supernova within the Milky Way
&10000000000001680000000Cas A,
c. 1680
Cassiopeia &10000000000000005000000+5 9,000 &10000000000000002000000IIb Milky Way Apparently never visually conspicuous, due to interstellar dust; but the remnant, Cas A, is the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky
&10000000000001868000000G1.9+0.3,
cal. 1868
Sagittarius (visible light masked by dust) 25,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia Milky Way Located near the Galactic Center; "Posthumously" discovered in 1985; age determined in 2008
&10000000000001885000000SN 1885A Andromeda &10000000000000005849999+5.85 2,500,000 &10000000000000001000000Ipec Andromeda Galaxy First observation of an extragalactic supernova
&10000000000001895000000SN 1895B Centaurus &10000000000000008000000+8.0 10,900,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia NGC 5253  
&10000000000001937000000SN 1937C Canes Venatici &10000000000000008400000+8.4 13,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia IC 4182  
&10000000000001937000000SN 1939C Cepheus &10000000000000013000000+13 25,200,000 &10000000000000001000000I Fireworks Galaxy  
&10000000000001940000000SN 1940B Coma Berenices &10000000000000012800000+12.8 38,000,000 &10000000000000002000000II-P NGC 4725  
&10000000000001961000000SN 1961V Perseus &10000000000000012500000+12.5 30,000,000 &10000000000000002000000II? NGC 1058 Potential supernova impostor
&10000000000001972000000SN 1972E Centaurus &10000000000000008699999+8.7 10,900,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia NGC 5253 Followed for more than a year; became the prototypical Type Ia supernova
&10000000000001983000000SN 1983N Hydra &10000000000000011800000+11.8 15,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ib Messier 83 First observation of a Type Ib supernova
&10000000000001986000000SN 1986J Andromeda &10000000000000018399999+18.4 30,000,000 &10000000000000002000000IIn NGC 891 Bright in the radio frequency range
&10000000000001987000000SN 1987A Dorado &10000000000000002899999+2.9 160,000 &10000000000000002000000IIpec Large Magellanic Cloud Intense radiation reached Earth on February 23, 1987, 7:35:35 UT. Notable for archival photos of progenitor star and detection of supernova neutrinos. Most recent Local Group supernova
&10000000000001993000000SN 1993J Ursa Major &10000000000000010699999+10.7 11,000,000 &10000000000000002000000IIb M81 One of the brightest supernovae in the northern sky since 1954
&10000000000001994000000SN 1994D Virgo &10000000000000015199999+15.2 50,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia NGC 4526
&10000000000001998000000SN 1998bw Telescopium  ? 140,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ic ESO 184-G82 Linked to GRB 980425, which was the first time a gamma-ray burst has been linked to a supernova.
&10000000000001999000000SN 1999eh Lynx &10000000000000018300000+18.3 +/- 0.3 84,000,000 &10000000000000001000000 I NGC 2770 First supernovae in this galaxy, where 3 more was detected later.
&10000000000002002000000SN 2002bj Lupus &10000000000000014699999+14.7 160,000,000 &10000000000000002000000IIn NGC 1821 AM Canum Venaticorum-type outburst.
&10000000000002003000000SN 2003fg Boötes 4,000,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia anonymous galaxy Also known as the "Champagne supernova"
&10000000000002004000000SN 2004dj Camelopardalis 8,000,000 &10000000000000002000000II-P NGC 2403 NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group
&10000000000002005000000SN 2005ap Coma Berenices 4,700,000,000 &10000000000000002000000II  ? Announced in 2007 to be the brightest supernova up to that point.
&10000000000002005000000SN 2005gj Cetus 865,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia/II-n  ? Notable for having characteristics of both Type Ia and Type IIn.
&10000000000002005000000SN 2005gl Pisces &10000000000000016500000+16.5 200,000,000 &10000000000000002000000II-n NGC 266 Star could be found on old pictures.
&10000000000002006000000SN 2006gy Perseus &10000000000000015000000+15 240,000,000 &10000000000000002000000IIn (*) NGC 1260 Observed by NASA,
*with a peak of over 70 days, possibly a new type.
&10000000000002007000000SN 2007bi Virgo &10000000000000018300000+18.3 &10000000000000001000000Ia anonymous dwarf galaxy Extremely bright and long-lasting, the first good observational match for the pair-instability supernova model postulated for stars of initial mass greater than 140 solar masses (even better than SN 2006gy). The precursor is estimated at 200 solar masses, similar to the first stars of the early universe.
&10000000000002007000000SN 2007uy Lynx &10000000000000016800000+16.8 84,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ibc NGC 2770 Got overshadowed by SN 2008D.
&10000000000002008000000SN 2008D Lynx 88,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ibc NGC 2770 First supernova to be observed while it exploded.
&10000000000002009000000MENeaC Abell399.3.14.0 Aries &10000000000000028699999+28.7 1,000,000,000
(z=0.0613)
&10000000000000001000000Ia anonymous red globular cluster associated with anonymous red elliptical galaxy in cluster Abell 399 Observed in 2009. Supernova associated with a globular cluster
&10000000000002010000000SN 2009ip Piscis Austrinus 66,000,000 &10000000000000002000000IIn NGC 7259 In 2009 classified as supernova. Redesignated as Luminous blue variable (LBV) Supernova impostor. In September 2012 classified as a young type IIn supernova.
&10000000000002010000000SN 2010lt Camelopardalis &10000000000000017000000+17.0 240,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia (sub-luminous) UGC 3378 Discovered by 10-year-old girl, the youngest person to discover a supernova.
&10000000000002011000000SN 2011fe Ursa Major &10000000000000010000000+10.0 21,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia M101 One of the very few extragalactic supernovae visible in 50mm binoculars.
&10000000000002014000000SN 2014J Ursa Major &10000000000000010000000+10.5 11,500,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia M82 Closest supernova since SN 2004dj in NGC 2403.
&10000000000002015000000ASASSN-15lh SN 2015L Indus &10000000000000016899999+16.9 3,800,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ic APMUKS(BJ) B215839.70−615403.9 Most luminous hypernova ever observed.
IPTF14hls Ursa Major &10000000000000017699999+17.7 509,000,000 unknown SDSS J092034.44+504148.7 (possible dwarf galaxy) Unusual supernova
&10000000000002016000000SN 2016aps Draco &10000000000000017800000+18.11 3,600,000,000 &10000000000000002000000SLSB-II  ? Most luminous supernova-like event to date.
&10000000000002018000000SN 2018zd Camelopardalis &10000000000000017800000+17.8 70,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Ia-csm NGC 2146 First electron capture supernova ever detected
SN 2019hgp Boötes &10000000000000020160000+20.16 920,000,000 &10000000000000001000000Icn First detected supernova of a Wolf-Rayet star
SN 2020fqv Virgo &10000000000000019000000+19.0 59,400,000 &10000000000000002000000IIb NGC 4568 Earliest known observation of an explosion, 26 hours after
SN 2020tlf Boötes &10000000000000015890000+15.89 120,000,000 &10000000000000002000000IIn NGC 5731 First red supergiant observed before, during and after explosion; earliest known observation, at 130 days before explosion
SN 2022jli Cetus &10000000000000014000000+14 75,000,000 type I-c NGC 157 Type Ic, shows periodicity
SN 2023ixf Ursa Major &10000000000000010800000+10.8 21,000,000 type II-L Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) Closest and brightest supernova since SN 2014J

Supernova statistics

Yearly extragalactic supernovae reported
Year Total Type I Type II LBV Brighter than
apmag 13
Apmag of brightest
Supernova of that year
2023 19859 1430 417 7 2 10.9 (2023ixf in M101)
2022 21368 1732 396 7 4 12.3 (2022hrs in NGC 4647)
2021 23665 1849 465 5 8 12.0 (2021aefx in NGC 1566)
2020 21775 1648 451 7 7 11.8 (2020ue in NGC 4636)
2019 18767 1652 485 9 1 13.0 (2019np in NGC 3254)
2018 9525 1206 332 7 5 12.7 (2018pv in NGC 3941)
2017 8293 746 218 4 3 11.5 (2017cbv in NGC 5643)
2016 7737 681 226 3 0 13.0 (2016coj in NGC 4125)
2015 4474 707 214 4 2 12.9 (2015F in NGC 2442)
2014 2243 528 175 2 3 10.1 (2014J in Messier 82)
2013 1922 498 190 7 6 11.3 (2013aa in NGC 5643)
2012 1223 550 152 8 5 11.9 (2012fr in NGC 1365)
2011 1129 439 160 10 7 9.9 (2011fe in Messier 101)
2010 931 279 135 7 2 12.8 (2010ih in NGC 2325)
2009 576 202 137 1 0 13.0 (2009ig in NGC 1015)
2008 511 251 143 1 3 12.4 (2008ge in NGC 1527)
2007 605 442 130 1 3 12.0 (2007it in NGC 5530)
2006 558 418 124 2 3 12.1 (2006dd in NGC 1316)
2005 385 273 94 1 2 12.3 (2005df in NGC 1559)
2004 343 221 79 0 2 11.2 (2004dj in NGC 2403)
2003 384 198 89 1 1 12.3 (2003hv in NGC 1201)
2002 353 163 64 0 1 12.3 (2002ap in Messier 74)
2001 310 108 75 0 2 12.3 (2001e1 in NGC 1448)
2000 199 76 49 1 0 13.1 (2000cx in NGC 528)

See also

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