A supernova is an event in which a star destroys itself in an explosion which can briefly become as luminous as an entire galaxy. This list of supernovae of historical significance includes events that were observed prior to the development of photography, and individual events that have been the subject of a scientific paper that contributed to supernova theory.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SN 185 | Centaurus | −4 (?) [1] | 9,100 [2] | Ia (?) | 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, [3] making it comparable to SN 1572. Some researchers have suggested it was a comet, not a supernova. [4] [5] |
SN 386 | Sagittarius | +1.5 | 14,700 | II | Milky Way | "suggested SN", [6] candidate remnant could be G11.2-0.3. [7] [8] There are three suggestions and doubtful if SN at all or classical nova or something else. [9] |
SN 393 | Scorpius | –0 | 3,400 | II/Ib | Milky Way | "possible SN", [6] could also be classical nova or something else [9] |
SN 1006 | Lupus | –7.5 [10] | 7,200 | Ia | Milky Way | Widely observed on Earth; in apparent magnitude, the brightest stellar event in recorded history. [11] |
SN 1054 | Taurus | –6 [12] | 6,500 | II | Milky Way | Remnant is the Crab Nebula with its pulsar (neutron star) |
SN 1181 | Cassiopeia | 0 | 7,100 | sub-luminous Type Iax supernova | Milky Way | Remnant is Pa 30 with its hot stellar remnant [13] |
SN 1572 | Cassiopeia | –4.0 | 8,000 | Ia | Milky Way | Tycho's Nova |
SN 1604 | Ophiuchus | –3 | 14,000 | Ia | Milky Way | Kepler's Supernova; most recent readily visible supernova within the Milky Way |
Cas A, c. 1680 | Cassiopeia | +5 | 9,000 | IIb | Milky Way | Apparently never visually conspicuous, due to interstellar dust; but the remnant, Cas A, is the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky |
G1.9+0.3, cal. 1868 | Sagittarius | (visible light masked by dust) | 25,000 | Ia | Milky Way | Located near the Galactic Center; "Posthumously" discovered in 1985; age determined in 2008 |
SN 1885A | Andromeda | +5.85 [14] | 2,500,000 | Ipec | Andromeda Galaxy | First observation of an extragalactic supernova |
SN 1895B | Centaurus | +8.0 [15] | 10,900,000 | Ia | NGC 5253 | |
SN 1937C | Canes Venatici | +8.4 [15] | 13,000,000 | Ia | IC 4182 | |
SN 1939C | Cepheus | +13 | 25,200,000 | I | Fireworks Galaxy | |
SN 1940B | Coma Berenices | +12.8 | 38,000,000 | II-P | NGC 4725 | |
SN 1961V | Perseus | +12.5 | 30,000,000 | II? | NGC 1058 | Potential supernova impostor [16] |
SN 1972E | Centaurus | +8.7 [17] | 10,900,000 | Ia | NGC 5253 | Followed for more than a year; became the prototypical Type Ia supernova |
SN 1983N | Hydra | +11.8 | 15,000,000 | Ib | Messier 83 | First observation of a Type Ib supernova |
SN 1986J | Andromeda | +18.4 | 30,000,000 | IIn | NGC 891 | Bright in the radio frequency range |
SN 1987A | Dorado | +2.9 | 160,000 | IIpec | 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 |
SN 1993J | Ursa Major | +10.7 [18] | 11,000,000 | IIb | M81 | One of the brightest supernovae in the northern sky since 1954 |
SN 1994D | Virgo | +15.2 | 50,000,000 | Ia | NGC 4526 | |
SN 1998bw | Telescopium | ? | 140,000,000 | Ic | ESO 184-G82 | Linked to GRB 980425, which was the first time a gamma-ray burst has been linked to a supernova. |
SN 1999eh | Lynx | +18.3 +/- 0.3 | 84,000,000 | I | NGC 2770 | First supernovae in this galaxy, where 3 more were detected later. |
SN 2002bj | Lupus | +14.7 | 160,000,000 | IIn | NGC 1821 | AM Canum Venaticorum-type outburst. [19] |
SN 2002dd | Ursa Major | +24.0 | 8,000,000,000 | Ia | anonymous galaxy | Furthest supernova observed through Hubble Deep Field. [20] |
SN 2003fg | Boötes | 4,000,000,000 | Ia | anonymous galaxy | Also known as the "Champagne supernova" | |
SN 2004dj | Camelopardalis | 8,000,000 | II-P | NGC 2403 | NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group | |
SN 2005ap | Coma Berenices | 4,700,000,000 | II | ? | Announced in 2007 to be the brightest supernova up to that point. | |
SN 2005gj | Cetus | 865,000,000 | Ia/II-n | ? | Notable for having characteristics of both Type Ia and Type IIn. | |
SN 2005gl | Pisces | +16.5 | 200,000,000 | II-n | NGC 266 | Star could be found on old pictures. [21] |
SN 2006gy | Perseus | +15 | 240,000,000 | IIn (*) | NGC 1260 | Observed by NASA, *with a peak of over 70 days, possibly a new type. |
SN 2007bi | Virgo | +18.3 | Ia | 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. [22] | |
SN 2007uy | Lynx | +16.8 | 84,000,000 | Ibc | NGC 2770 | Got overshadowed by SN 2008D. |
SN 2008D | Lynx | 88,000,000 | Ibc | NGC 2770 | First supernova to be observed while it exploded. | |
MENeaC Abell399.3.14.0 | Aries | +28.7 | 1,000,000,000 (z=0.0613) | Ia | anonymous red globular cluster associated with anonymous red elliptical galaxy in cluster Abell 399 | Observed in 2009. Supernova associated with a globular cluster [23] [24] |
SN 2009ip | Piscis Austrinus | 66,000,000 | IIn | NGC 7259 | In 2009 classified as supernova. Redesignated as Luminous blue variable (LBV) Supernova impostor. [25] In September 2012 classified as a young type IIn supernova. [26] | |
SN 2010lt | Camelopardalis | +17.0 | 240,000,000 | Ia (sub-luminous) | UGC 3378 | Discovered by 10-year-old girl, the youngest person to discover a supernova. |
SN 2011fe | Ursa Major | +10.0 | 21,000,000 | Ia | M101 | One of the very few extragalactic supernovae visible in 50mm binoculars. |
SN 2014J | Ursa Major | +10.5 | 11,500,000 | Ia | M82 | Closest supernova since SN 2004dj in NGC 2403. |
ASASSN-15ga | Virgo | 1,000,000,000 | Ia | NGC 4866 | [27] | |
ASASSN-15lh SN 2015L | Indus | +16.9 | 3,800,000,000 | Ic | APMUKS(BJ) B215839.70−615403.9 | Most luminous hypernova ever observed. |
IPTF14hls | Ursa Major | +17.7 | 509,000,000 | unknown | SDSS J092034.44+504148.7 (possible dwarf galaxy) | Unusual supernova |
SN 2016aps | Draco | +18.11 | 3,600,000,000 | SLSB-II | ? | Most luminous supernova-like event to date. |
SN 2017gax | Dorado | 517,000,000 | I | NGC 1672 | ||
SN 2018zd | Camelopardalis | +17.8 | 70,000,000 | Ia-csm | NGC 2146 | First electron capture supernova ever detected |
SN 2019hgp | Boötes | +20.16 | 920,000,000 | Icn | First detected supernova of a Wolf-Rayet star [28] [29] | |
SN 2020fqv | Virgo | +19.0 | 59,400,000 | IIb | NGC 4568 | Earliest known observation of an explosion, 26 hours after [30] [31] [32] |
SN 2020tlf | Boötes | +15.89 | 120,000,000 | IIn | NGC 5731 | First red supergiant observed before, during and after explosion; earliest known observation, at 130 days before explosion [33] [34] |
SN 2021yja | Eridanus | 750,000,000 | II | NGC 1325 [35] [36] | ||
SN 2021afdx | Sculptor | 18.8 | 5,000,000,000 | II | Cartwheel Galaxy | [37] [38] |
SN 2022jli | Cetus | +14 | 75,000,000 | type I-c | NGC 157 | Type Ic, shows periodicity [39] [40] [41] [42] |
SN 2022aajn | Gemini | 600,000,000 | Ia | [43] | ||
SN 2023ixf | Ursa Major | +10.8 | 21,000,000 | type II-L | Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) [44] | Closest and brightest supernova since SN 2014J |
SN 2023rve | Fornax | +13.9 | 450,000,000 | II | NGC 1097 [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] | Brightest Supernova Since SN 2023ixf. |
SN 2023vyl | Pegasus | 783,000,000 | Ia | NGC 7625 | [50] [51] | |
SN 2023abdg | Grus | 816,000,000 | II | NGC 7421 | [52] | |
SN 2023ufx | +15.55 | II | The most metal-poor supernova found to date. [53] | |||
Year | Total | Type I | Type II | LBV (imposters) | Brighter than apmag 13 | Apmag of brightest Supernova of that year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 [54] | 19859 | 1430 | 417 | 7 | 2 | 10.9 (2023ixf in Messier 101) |
2022 [55] | 21368 | 1732 | 396 | 7 | 4 | 12.3 (2022hrs in NGC 4647) |
2021 [56] | 23665 | 1849 | 465 | 5 | 8 | 12.0 (2021aefx in NGC 1566) |
2020 [57] | 21775 | 1648 | 451 | 7 | 7 | 11.8 (2020ue in NGC 4636) |
2019 [58] | 18767 | 1652 | 485 | 9 | 1 | 13.0 (2019np in NGC 3254) |
2018 [59] | 9525 | 1206 | 332 | 7 | 5 | 12.7 (2018pv in NGC 3941) |
2017 [60] | 8293 | 746 | 218 | 4 | 3 | 11.5 (2017cbv in NGC 5643) |
2016 [61] | 7737 | 681 | 226 | 3 | 0 | 13.0 (2016coj in NGC 4125) |
2015 [62] | 4474 | 707 | 214 | 4 | 2 | 12.9 (2015F in NGC 2442) |
2014 [63] | 2243 | 528 | 175 | 2 | 3 | 10.1 (2014J in Messier 82) |
2013 [64] | 1922 | 498 | 190 | 7 | 6 | 11.3 (2013aa in NGC 5643) |
2012 [65] | 1223 | 550 | 152 | 8 | 5 | 11.9 (2012fr in NGC 1365) |
2011 [66] | 1129 | 439 | 160 | 10 | 7 | 9.9 (2011fe in Messier 101) |
2010 [67] | 931 | 279 | 135 | 7 | 2 | 12.8 (2010ih in NGC 2325) |
2009 [68] | 576 | 202 | 137 | 1 | 0 | 13.0 (2009ig in NGC 1015) |
2008 [69] | 511 | 251 | 143 | 1 | 3 | 12.4 (2008ge in NGC 1527) |
2007 [70] | 605 | 442 | 130 | 1 | 3 | 12.0 (2007it in NGC 5530) |
2006 [71] | 558 | 418 | 124 | 2 | 3 | 12.1 (2006dd in NGC 1316) |
2005 [72] | 385 | 273 | 94 | 1 | 2 | 12.3 (2005df in NGC 1559) |
2004 [73] | 343 | 221 | 79 | 0 | 2 | 11.2 (2004dj in NGC 2403) |
2003 [74] | 384 | 198 | 89 | 1 | 1 | 12.3 (2003hv in NGC 1201) |
2002 [75] | 353 | 163 | 64 | 0 | 1 | 12.3 (2002ap in Messier 74) |
2001 [76] | 310 | 108 | 75 | 0 | 2 | 12.3 (2001e1 in NGC 1448) |
2000 [77] | 199 | 76 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 13.1 (2000cx in NGC 528) |
2000-2023 | 147135 | 16297 (76.5%) | 5000 (23.5%) | 95 | 72 |
Messier 83 or M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy and NGC 5236, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 15 million light-years away in the constellation borders of Hydra and Centaurus. Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille discovered M83 on 17 February 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope. Charles Messier added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects in March 1781.
Messier 66 or M66, also known as NGC 3627, is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the southern, equatorial half of Leo. It was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier on 1 March 1780, who described it as "very long and very faint". This galaxy is a member of a small group of galaxies that includes M65 and NGC 3628, known as the Leo Triplet or the M66 Group. M65 and M66 are a common object for amateur astronomic observation, being separated by only 20′.
Messier 74 is a large spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation Pisces. It is about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy. The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe. Its relatively large angular size and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves. It is estimated that M74 hosts about 100 billion stars.
Messier 99 or M99, also known as NGC 4254 or St. Catherine's Wheel, is a grand design spiral galaxy in the northern constellation Coma Berenices approximately 15,000,000 parsecs from the Milky Way. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain on 17 March 1781. The discovery was then reported to Charles Messier, who included the object in the Messier Catalogue of comet-like objects. It was one of the first galaxies in which a spiral pattern was seen. This pattern was first identified by Lord Rosse in the spring of 1846.
NGC 3184, the Little Pinwheel Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Its name comes from its resemblance to the Pinwheel Galaxy. It was discovered on 18 March 1787 by German-British astronomer William Herschel. It has two HII regions named NGC 3180 and NGC 3181.
NGC 6946, sometimes referred to as the Fireworks Galaxy, is a face-on intermediate spiral galaxy with a small bright nucleus, whose location in the sky straddles the boundary between the northern constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus. Its distance from Earth is about 25.2 million light-years or 7.72 megaparsecs, similar to the distance of M101 in the constellation Ursa Major. Both were once considered to be part of the Local Group, but are now known to be among the dozen bright spiral galaxies near the Milky Way but beyond the confines of the Local Group. NGC 6946 lies within the Virgo Supercluster.
NGC 4725 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy with a prominent ring structure, located in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices near the north galactic pole. It was discovered by German-born British astronomer William Herschel on April 6, 1785. The galaxy lies at a distance of approximately 40 megalight-years from the Milky Way. NGC 4725 is the brightest member of the Coma I Group of the Coma-Sculptor Cloud, although it is relatively isolated from the other members of this group. This galaxy is strongly disturbed and is interacting with neighboring spiral galaxy NGC 4747, with its spiral arms showing indications of warping. The pair have an angular separation of 24′, which corresponds to a projected linear separation of 370 kly. A tidal plume extends from NGC 4747 toward NGC 4725.
NGC 4414, also known as the Dusty Spiral Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 62 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 13 March 1785.
NGC 1316 is a lenticular galaxy about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Fornax. It is a radio galaxy and at 1400 MHz is the fourth-brightest radio source in the sky.
NGC 2442 and NGC 2443 are two parts of a single intermediate spiral galaxy, commonly known as the Meathook Galaxy or the Cobra and Mouse. It is about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Volans. It was discovered by Sir John Herschel on December 23, 1834 during his survey of southern skies with a 18.25 inch diameter reflecting telescope from an observatory he set up in Cape Town, South Africa. Associated with this galaxy is HIPASS J0731-69, a cloud of gas devoid of any stars. It is likely that the cloud was torn loose from NGC 2442 by a companion.
SN 1994D was a Type Ia supernova event in the outskirts of galaxy NGC 4526. It was offset by 9.0″ west and 7.8″ south of the galaxy center and positioned near a prominent dust lane. It was caused by the explosion of a white dwarf star composed of carbon and oxygen. This event was discovered on March 7, 1994 by R. R. Treffers and associates using the automated 30-inch telescope at Leuschner Observatory. It reached peak visual brightness two weeks later on March 22. Modelling of the light curve indicates the explosion would have been visible around March 3-4. A possible detection of helium in the spectrum was made by W. P. S. Meikle and associates in 1996. A mass of 0.014 to 0.03 M☉ in helium would be needed to produce this feature.
NGC 4088 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. The galaxy forms a physical pair with NGC 4085, which is located 11′ away.
NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are a pair of colliding spiral galaxies about 80 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. NGC 2207 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on 24 January 1835, while IC 2163 was discovered by Herbert Howe on 11 February 1898.
NGC 2770 is a spiral galaxy in the northern constellation of Lynx, near the northern constellation border with Cancer. It was discovered by German-born astronomer William Herschel on December 7, 1785. J. L. E. Dreyer described it as, "faint, large, much extended 150°, mottled but not resolved, 2 stars to north". NGC 2770 was the target for the first binocular image produced by the Large Binocular Telescope.
NGC 4666 is a spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo, located at a distance of approximately 55 megalight-years from the Milky Way. It was discovered by the German-born astronomer William Herschel on February 22, 1784. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster. John L. E. Dreyer described it as "bright, very large, much extended 45°±, pretty suddenly brighter middle". It is a member of an interacting system with NGC 4668 and a dwarf galaxy, and belongs to a small group that also includes NGC 4632.
NGC 1084 is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellation Eridanus. It is located at a distance of about 63 million light-years away from the Milky Way. The galaxy was discovered by William Herschel on 10 January 1785. It has multiple spiral arms, which are not well defined. It belongs in the same galaxy group with NGC 988, NGC 991, NGC 1022, NGC 1035, NGC 1042, NGC 1047, NGC 1052 and NGC 1110. This group is in turn associated with the Messier 77 group.
NGC 4490, also known as the Cocoon Galaxy, is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. William Herschel discovered it in 1788. It is known to be of the closest interacting/merging galactic system. The galaxy lies at a distance of 25 million light years from Earth making it located in the local universe. It interacts with its smaller companion NGC 4485 and as a result is a starburst galaxy. NGC 4490 and NGC 4485 are collectively known in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 269. The two galaxies have already made their closest approach and are rushing away from each other. It has been discovered that NGC 4490 has a double nucleus.
NGC 5643 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Lupus. Based on the tip of the red-giant branch distance indicator, it is located at a distance of about 40 million light-years. NGC 5643 has an active galactic nucleus and is a type II Seyfert galaxy.
NGC 4424 is a spiral galaxy located in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered February 27, 1865 by German astronomer Heinrich Louis d'Arrest. This galaxy is located at a distance of 13.5 million light years and is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 442 km/s. It has a morphological class of SB(s)a, which normally indicates a spiral galaxy with a barred structure (SB), no inner ring feature (s), and tightly-wound spiral arms (a). The galactic plane is inclined at an angle of 62° to the line of sight from the Earth. It is a likely member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.
NGC 1325 is a flocculent spiral galaxy situated in the constellation of Eridanus. Located about 75 million light years away, it is a member of the Eridanus cluster of galaxies, a cluster of about 200 galaxies. It was discovered by William Herschel on 19 December 1799.