在附近的螺旋星系M101中发现的超新星
(原标题: Supernova Discovered in Nearby Spiral Galaxy M101)
2023-05-22
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附近的一颗恒星爆炸了，人类的望远镜正转向监视它。这颗超新星被命名为SN 2023ixf，是由日本天文学家Koichi Itagaki三天前发现的，随后在两天前从兹威基瞬变设施的自动图像中定位。SN 2023ixf发生在上镜的风车星系M101中，它距离我们只有2100万光年，是过去5年来发现的离我们最近的超新星，是过去10年来发现的第二近的超新星，也是过去15年来在M101中发现的第二颗超新星。快速的后续观测已经表明，SN 2023ixf是一颗II型超新星，这是一颗大质量恒星耗尽核燃料并坍塌后发生的爆炸。这张特色图片显示的是两天前的家园螺旋星系，突出显示了超新星，而这张翻转图片显示的是一个月前的同一个星系。SN 2023ixf可能会变亮，并在未来几个月里都能被望远镜观测到。研究这样一颗近距离年轻的II型超新星可能会为大质量恒星及其爆炸方式提供新的线索。
查看原文解释
A nearby star has exploded and humanity's telescopes are turning to monitor it. The supernova, dubbed SN 2023ixf, was discovered by Japanese astronomer Koichi Itagaki three days ago and subsequently located on automated images from the Zwicky Transient Facility two days earlier. SN 2023ixf occurred in the photogenic Pinwheel Galaxy M101, which, being only about 21 million light years away, makes it the closest supernova seen in the past five years, the second closest in the past 10 years, and the second supernova found in M101 in the past 15 years. Rapid follow up observations already indicate that SN 2023ixf is a Type II supernova, an explosion that occurs after a massive star runs out of nuclear fuel and collapses. The featured image shows home spiral galaxy two days ago with the supernova highlighted, while the roll-over image shows the same galaxy a month before. SN 2023ixf will likely brighten and remain visible to telescopes for months. Studying such a close and young Type II supernova may yield new clues about massive stars and how they explode.
© Craig Stocks