SN 2010lt
Encyclopedia
SN 2010lt is a supernova
located in the galaxy UGC 3378
in Camelopardalis. It was discovered by amateur astronomer
s Kathryn Aurora Gray, her father Paul Gray, of Fredericton, New Brunswick
, Canada
and David J. Lane
of Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia
, Canada
. Upon discovery, Kathryn Aurora Gray became the youngest person to ever discover a supernova, being 10 years old when she did so. The previous record was held by the 14-year-old Caroline Moore
.
C14 0.36-meter f/5.5
telescope
, and the supernova was spotted on them on 2 January 2011. The discovery was confirmed on 3 January 2011 by the amateur astronomers Brian Tieman and Jack Newton
and announced by the IAU Central Bureau of Astronomical Telegrams
at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
. It was announced by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
on the same day.
and was discovered when near maximum light. The supernova could not be detected (detection limit approximately 18.5 of apparent magnitude
) at its current position on images taken between October 2005 and March 2006.
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
located in the galaxy UGC 3378
UGC 3378
UGC 3378 is a galaxy with a star that was observed to go supernova in January of 2011. . The distance to our Solar system is about 248.800.000 light year...
in Camelopardalis. It was discovered by amateur astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s Kathryn Aurora Gray, her father Paul Gray, of Fredericton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and David J. Lane
David J. Lane
David J. Lane is a Canadian astronomer at Saint Mary's University, the past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Director of the Burke-Gaffney, owner of the Abbey-Ridge observatories, and creator of the planetarium software entitled the Earth Centered Universe. Asteroid 117032...
of Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Upon discovery, Kathryn Aurora Gray became the youngest person to ever discover a supernova, being 10 years old when she did so. The previous record was held by the 14-year-old Caroline Moore
Caroline Moore
Caroline Moore is an American amateur astronomer. On November 7, 2008, at the age of 14, Moore discovered supernova 2008ha in the galaxy UGC 12682 in the constellation Pegasus. At that time, Moore was the youngest person to discover a supernova...
.
Discovery
The images were taken at Lane's Abbey Ridge Observatory on 31 December 2010 with a CelestronCelestron
Celestron is a company that manufactures and imports telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, and accessories for their products.-Origins and History:...
C14 0.36-meter f/5.5
F-number
In optics, the f-number of an optical system expresses the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the focal length of the lens; in simpler terms, the f-number is the focal length divided by the "effective" aperture diameter...
telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
, and the supernova was spotted on them on 2 January 2011. The discovery was confirmed on 3 January 2011 by the amateur astronomers Brian Tieman and Jack Newton
Jack B. Newton
John "Jack" Borden Newton is a Canadian astronomer known worldwide for his publications and images in amateur astrophotography both in film and CCD. Newton took his first astrophotograph when he was 13 years old of the planet Saturn...
and announced by the IAU Central Bureau of Astronomical Telegrams
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
The Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams is the official international clearing house for information relating to transient astronomical events....
at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It was announced by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is a national, non-profit, charitable organization devoted to the advancement of astronomy and related sciences. At present, there are 29 local branches of the Society, called centres, located in towns and cities across the country from St. John's,...
on the same day.
Discoverers
- David J. LaneDavid J. LaneDavid J. Lane is a Canadian astronomer at Saint Mary's University, the past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Director of the Burke-Gaffney, owner of the Abbey-Ridge observatories, and creator of the planetarium software entitled the Earth Centered Universe. Asteroid 117032...
: SN 2010lt is Lane's fourth discovery of a supernova. The previous were SN 1995F, SN 2005BSN 2005BSN 2005B, the second supernova discovered in 2005, was discovered by amateur astronomer Paul Gray, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, upon reviewing film shot by fellow amateur astronomer David J. Lane, at his backyard observatory in Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was located in the...
and SN 2005ea. All were discovered with Paul Gray. - Paul Gray: SN 2010lt is Paul's seventh discovery of a supernova.
- Kathryn Aurora Gray: her first discovery.
Description
SN 2010lt is about 20" west and 10" north of the galaxy center. It is a sub-luminous (1991bg-like) type Ia supernovaType Ia supernova
A Type Ia supernova is a sub-category of supernovae, which in turn are a sub-category of cataclysmic variable stars, that results from the violent explosion of a white dwarf star. A white dwarf is the remnant of a star that has completed its normal life cycle and has ceased nuclear fusion...
and was discovered when near maximum light. The supernova could not be detected (detection limit approximately 18.5 of apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
) at its current position on images taken between October 2005 and March 2006.
External links
- Dave Lane website, Supernovae discoveries made by Paul Gray and Dave Lane from Abbey Ridge Observatory
- Abbey Ridge Observatory
- Images of SN 2010lt by Joseph Brimacombe in flickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
- Kathryn Gray's website