When a huge star dies, it explodes into a bright blast of light that fills the night skies for a brief moment. The occurrence, known as a supernova, might linger for weeks at a time. However, it is normally visible only to scientists with large telescopes. However, everyone can view SN 2023ixf, one of the largest and brightest supernovae in almost a decade!
On May 19, 2023, Koichi Itagaki, a Japanese amateur astronomer, discovered the supernova. Since then, it has gradually brightened. Though not visible to the naked eye, a modest telescope or a pair of powerful binoculars can readily observe the explosion. Even better, it is not expected to disappear anytime soon.
“We expect the brightness to sort of hold steady for weeks if not months,” says Daniel Perley, an astrophysicist at Liverpool John Moores Observatory. “It’s gonna stay bright.”
The SN 2023ixf is thought to be the death of a star far larger than our Sun. The fading star is located around 21 million light-years from Earth in the spiral arm of the M101 Galaxy. It is one of the most well-known and magnificent galaxies in the night sky, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy.
Supernovae provide crucial insights into our cosmos for scientists. For example, a study of a certain sort of supernova led to the conclusion that our universe is constantly growing and expanding. Researchers have also discovered evidence that the debris from exploding stars helps in the formation of new stars and planets.
