SN 393

Last updated
Supernova SN 393
Scorpius constellation map.png
The Wěi asterism appears in the lower half of the Scorpius constellation
Event type Supernova   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Type II/Ib [1]
Date27 February− 28 March 393
22 October− 19 November 393 CE [2]
Constellation Scorpius
Right ascension 17h 14m [3]
Declination −39.8° [3]
Epoch J2000
Galactic coordinates G347.4−00.6° [3]
Distance1  kpc (3×10^3  ly) [4]
RemnantShell
Host Milky Way
Peak apparent magnitude −1 [5]
Other designationsSN 393
Preceded by SN 386
Followed by SN 1006
[ edit on Wikidata]

SN 393 is the modern designation for a probable supernova that was reported by the Chinese in the year 393 CE. An extracted record of this astronomical event was translated into English as follows:

Contents

A guest star appeared within the asterism Wěi during the second lunar month of the 18th year of the Tai-Yuan reign period, and disappeared during the ninth lunar month.

—  Shen Yue, Song Shu [2]

The second lunar month mentioned in the record corresponds to the period 27 February to 28 March 393 CE, while the ninth lunar month ran from 22 October to 19 November 393 CE. The bowl-shaped asterism named Wěi is formed by the tail of the modern constellation Scorpius. This asterism consists of the stars in Scorpius designated ε, μ, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ and ν. The guest star reached an estimated apparent magnitude of −1 and was visible for about eight months before fading from sight, [5] whose lengthy duration suggests the source was a supernova. [6] However, a classical nova is not excluded as possibility. [7] [6]

Suggested as supernova

Before 1975, the observation made by the Chinese between February and March 393 CE was considered to be likely a bright nova with a secondary maximum. [6] At the time, there were only seven possible candidate supernova remnants near where SN 393 was observed. Assuming maximum –1 magnitude occurred close to 10,000 pc (33,000 ly) away, this immediately ruled out four possible candidates. Another discounted remnant was G350.0-1.8, as the expectant expansion rate indicated the supernova occurred around 8,000 years ago. Of the two remaining sources, G348.5+0.1 and G348.7+0.3, were both at the required 10,000 pc. distance and also each had estimated ages of 1,500 years. [5] If true, it seems unlikely such supernovae would be visible to the naked eye over eight months, especially because they occurred close to a particularly dusty part of the galactic plane. [2]

Stephenson [8] and his colleagues preferred the supernova suggestion. In their most recent book and subsequent articles, Stephenson and Green [9] refer to the suggestion by Wang et al. (1997) [10] who suggested G347.3–00.5.

Suggested as classical nova

The decline time of classical novae is measured typically as the duration of decline by 3 mag from peak. This so-called t3 time ranges from typical 25–30 days (a month or two) for fast novae up to ten months for the slowest known classical novae (and even longer for diffusion induced novae). [11] [12] Thus, this historical transient could easily have been caused by a (slow) classical nova: postulating a peak brightness of (at least) 2 mag for the historical sighting and vanishing to invisibility (>5 mag) within 8 months, it could be a slow nova. The brighter the peak, the faster the nova: if the peak was −1 mag (like Sirius) or −4 (like Venus) and declined to >5 mag within eight months (6 mag or more in eight months) it could also refer to a moderately fast nova. Possible (and certainly not the only) candidates in the Chinese constellation of Wei are according to: [7]

Suggested classical nova counterparts for 393
V643 Scoa Z Cam-type dwarf nova
IGR J17195–4100intermediate polar

Possible confirmation of SN 393

During 1996, the ROSAT All Sky Survey discovered another nearby supernova remnant, RX J1713.7-3946, which two years later, was suggested as a better match for SN 393. [13] Observations in 1999 suggested that this remnant was associated with a H II region, G347.611 +0.204, whose distance was about 6,000 pc (20,000 ly), but in 2003, examining interactions between a nearby molecular cloud and the expanding remnant found the closer distance of around 1,000 pc (3,000 ly). In 2004, measures of the degree of X-ray and neutral hydrogen absorption by intervening matter between the remnant and Earth, confirmed this closer distance, making the true physical remnant diameter as 20  pc (65  ly ), assuming the apparent angular diameter of about 1.2° or 70  arcminutes. [4]

Supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 is consistent with type II or type Ib supernovae. SN 393's progenitor had a mass of at least 15 solar masses, whose destruction generated energies of about 1.3 × 1051 erg , with three solar masses of material ejected into the surrounding interstellar medium. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova</span> Nuclear explosion in a white dwarf star

A nova is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white dwarfs in close binary systems, but causes of the dramatic appearance of a nova vary, depending on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars. The main sub-classes of novae are classical novae, recurrent novae (RNe), and dwarf novae. They are all considered to be cataclysmic variable stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supernova</span> Explosion of a star at its end of life

A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion. The original object, called the progenitor, either collapses to a neutron star or black hole, or is completely destroyed to form a diffuse nebula. The peak optical luminosity of a supernova can be comparable to that of an entire galaxy before fading over several weeks or months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 1987A</span> 1987 supernova event in the constellation Dorado

SN 1987A was a type II supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs from Earth and was the closest observed supernova since Kepler's Supernova in 1604. Light and neutrinos from the explosion reached Earth on February 23, 1987 and was designated "SN 1987A" as the first supernova discovered that year. Its brightness peaked in May of that year, with an apparent magnitude of about 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kepler's Supernova</span> Supernova visible from Earth in the 17th century

SN 1604, also known as Kepler's Supernova, Kepler's Nova or Kepler's Star, was a Type Ia supernova that occurred in the Milky Way, in the constellation Ophiuchus. Appearing in 1604, it is the most recent supernova in the Milky Way galaxy to have been unquestionably observed by the naked eye, occurring no farther than 6 kiloparsecs from Earth. Before the adoption of the current naming system for supernovae, it was named for Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer who described it in De Stella Nova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crab Nebula</span> Supernova remnant in the constellation Taurus

The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. The common name comes from a drawing that somewhat resembled a crab with arms produced by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, in 1842 or 1843 using a 36-inch (91 cm) telescope. The nebula was discovered by English astronomer John Bevis in 1731. It corresponds with a bright supernova recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054 as a guest star. The nebula was the first astronomical object identified that corresponds with a historically-observed supernova explosion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3184</span> Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major

NGC 3184, the Little Pinwheel Galaxy, is a 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3C 58</span> Supernova remnant

3C 58 or 3C58 is a pulsar and supernova remnant within the Milky Way. The object is listed as No. 58 in the Third Cambridge Catalogue of Radio Sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 1181</span> Supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia

First observed between August 4 and August 6, 1181, Chinese and Japanese astronomers recorded the supernova now known as SN 1181 in eight separate texts. One of only five supernovae in the Milky Way confidently identified in pre-telescopic records, it appeared in the constellation Cassiopeia and was visible and motionless against the fixed stars for 185 days. F. R. Stephenson first recognized that the 1181 AD "guest star" must be a supernova, because such a bright transient that lasts for 185 days and does not move in the sky can only be a galactic supernova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 1006</span> Supernova observed from Earth in the year 1006 CE

SN 1006 was a supernova that is likely the brightest observed stellar event in recorded history, reaching an estimated −7.5 visual magnitude, and exceeding roughly sixteen times the brightness of Venus. Appearing between April 30 and May 1, 1006, in the constellation of Lupus, this "guest star" was described by observers across China, Japan, modern-day Iraq, Egypt, and Europe, and was possibly recorded in North American petroglyphs. Some reports state it was clearly visible in the daytime. Modern astronomers now consider its distance from Earth to be about 7,200 light-years or 2,200 parsecs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 1054</span> Supernova in the constellation Taurus; visible from 1054 to 1056

SN 1054 is a supernova that was first observed on c. 10 July [O.S. c. 4 July] 1054, and remained visible until c. 12 April [O.S. c. 6 April] 1056.α

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near-Earth supernova</span> Supernova close enough to have effects on the Earths biosphere

A near-Earth supernova is an explosion resulting from the death of a star that occurs close enough to the Earth to have noticeable effects on Earth's biosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type Ia supernova</span> Type of supernova in binary systems

A Type Ia supernova is a type of supernova that occurs in binary systems in which one of the stars is a white dwarf. The other star can be anything from a giant star to an even smaller white dwarf.

A quark-nova is the hypothetical violent explosion resulting from the conversion of a neutron star to a quark star. Analogous to a supernova heralding the birth of a neutron star, a quark nova signals the creation of a quark star. The term quark-novae was coined in 2002 by Dr. Rachid Ouyed and Drs. J. Dey and M. Dey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 185</span> Possible supernova event

SN 185 was a transient astronomical event observed in the year AD 185, likely a supernova. The transient occurred in the direction of Alpha Centauri, between the constellations Circinus and Centaurus, centered at RA 14h 43m Dec −62° 30′, in Circinus. This "guest star" was observed by Chinese astronomers in the Book of Later Han (后汉书), and might have been recorded in Roman literature. It remained visible in the night sky for eight months. This is believed to be the first supernova for which records exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of supernova observation</span> Ancient and modern recorded observations of supernovae explosions

The known history of supernova observation goes back to 1006 AD. All earlier proposals for supernova observations are speculations with many alternatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luminous red nova</span> Stellar explosion with a distinct red colour

A luminous red nova is a stellar explosion thought to be caused by the merging of two stars. They are characterised by a distinct red colour, and a light curve that fades slowly with resurgent brightness in the infrared. Luminous red novae are not related to standard novae, which are explosions that occur on the surface of white dwarf stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 386</span>

SN 386 is a probable transient astronomical event in the constellation Sagittarius, which appeared as a "guest star" that was reported by Chinese astronomers in 386 CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4424</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Berezhko, E. G.; Völk, H. J. (February 2010). "Nonthermal and thermal emission from the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 511: A34. arXiv: 0910.2094 . Bibcode:2010A&A...511A..34B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913312. S2CID   56214010.
  2. 1 2 3 Wang, Zhen-Ru (2005-04-01). "The impact of historical Chinese astronomical records". Astrophysics and Space Science. 305 (3): 207–210. Bibcode:2006Ap&SS.305..207W. doi:10.1007/s10509-006-9187-8. ISBN   9789211009590. S2CID   120568398.
  3. 1 2 3 "SN 393 -- SuperNova". SIMBAD. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  4. 1 2 Acero, F.; et al. (October 2009). "A joint spectro-imaging analysis of the XMM-Newton and HESS observations of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 505 (1): 157–167. arXiv: 0906.1073 . Bibcode:2009A&A...505..157A. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200811556. S2CID   53982263.
  5. 1 2 3 Clark, D. H.; Stephenson, F. R. (October 1975). "The remnants of the supernovae of AD 185 and AD 393". The Observatory. 95: 190–195. Bibcode:1975Obs....95..190C.
  6. 1 2 3 Clark, D. H.; Stephenson, F. R.; Stephenson, F. R. (September 1976). "Which historical new stars were supernovae". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 17: 290–302. Bibcode:1976QJRAS..17..290C.
  7. 1 2 Hoffmann, Susanne M.; Vogt, Nikolaus (2020-07-01). "A search for the modern counterparts of the Far Eastern guest stars 369 CE, 386 CE and 393 CE". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 497 (2): 1419–1433. arXiv: 2007.01013 . Bibcode:2020MNRAS.497.1419H. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa1970 .
  8. ↑ Clark, D. H.; Stephenson, F. R. (1976-09-01). "Which historical new stars were supernovae". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 17: 290–302. Bibcode:1976QJRAS..17..290C. ISSN   0035-8738.
  9. ↑ Stephenson, F. R.; Green, D. A. (2005-12-01). "Historical Supernovae". 1604-2004: Supernovae as Cosmological Lighthouses. 342: 63–70. Bibcode:2005ASPC..342...63S.
  10. ↑ Wang, Z. R.; Qu, Q.-Y.; Chen, Y. (1997-02-01). "Is RX J1713.7-3946 the remnant of the AD393 guest star?". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 318: L59–L61. Bibcode:1997A&A...318L..59W. ISSN   0004-6361.
  11. ↑ Strope, Richard J.; Schaefer, Bradley E.; Henden, Arne A. (2010-07-01). "Catalog of 93 Nova Light Curves: Classification and Properties". The Astronomical Journal. 140 (1): 34–62. arXiv: 1004.3698 . Bibcode:2010AJ....140...34S. doi: 10.1088/0004-6256/140/1/34 .
  12. ↑ Hoffmann, Susanne M.; Vogt, Nikolaus (2020-07-01). "Counterparts of Far Eastern Guest Stars: Novae, supernovae, or something else?". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 496 (4): 4488–4506. arXiv: 2006.00977 . Bibcode:2020MNRAS.496.4488H. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa1685 .
  13. ↑ Wang, Z.-R.; Qu, Q. Y.; Chen, Y. (1998). "The AD 393 Guest Star; the SNR RX 51713.7-3946". In Katsuji Koyama; Shunji Kitamoto; Masayuki Itoh (eds.). The Hot Universe. Proceedings of IAU Symposium #188. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. p. 262. Bibcode:1998IAUS..188..262W.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.