Texas Supernova Search
Encyclopedia
Texas Supernova Search is one of many ongoing projects to identify and record supernova
events. The project is led by Robert Quimby
and to date has found 35 supernovae, 29 of which they were the first to report on. In addition they have discovered 12 novae (including a probable LBV
), in M31 and M33 and 6 dwarf novae.http://grad40.as.utexas.edu/~quimby/tss/index.html
The project's most notable successes are SN 2005ap
and SN 2006gy
, the 2 most powerful supernovae yet recorded. SN 2005ap was an extremely energetic type II
supernova
. It is reported to be the brightest supernova yet recorded, twice as bright as the previous record holder, SN 2006gy. http://space.newscientist.com/channel/astronomy/dn12778-enigmatic-supernova-smashes-brightness-record.html
Although SN 2005ap was twice as bright at its peak than SN 2006gy it was not as energetic overall as the former brightened and dimmed in a typical period of a few days whereas the latter remained very bright for many months. SN2005ap was about 300 times brighter than normal for a type II supernova. It has been speculated that this supernaove involved the formation of a quark star
. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008AAS...212.6401L
Time
magazine listed the discovery of SN 2006gy as third in its Top 10 Scientific Discoveries for 2007.http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/0,30583,1686204_1686252_1690931,00.html
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...
events. The project is led by Robert Quimby
Robert Quimby
Robert Quimby is an American astronomer who received his Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. As a lead member of the Texas Supernova Survey, Quimby and his team used the relatively small 18-inch ROTSE-IIIb robotic telescope on McDonald Observatory’s Mount Fowlkes, along with...
and to date has found 35 supernovae, 29 of which they were the first to report on. In addition they have discovered 12 novae (including a probable LBV
Luminous blue variable
Luminous blue variables, also known as S Doradus variables, are very bright, blue, hypergiant variable stars named after S Doradus, the brightest star of the Large Magellanic Cloud. They exhibit long, slow changes in brightness, punctuated by occasional outbursts in brightness during substantial...
), in M31 and M33 and 6 dwarf novae.http://grad40.as.utexas.edu/~quimby/tss/index.html
The project's most notable successes are SN 2005ap
SN 2005ap
SN 2005ap was an extremely energetic type II supernova. It is reported to be the brightest supernova yet recorded, twice as bright as the previous record holder, SN 2006gy...
and SN 2006gy
SN 2006gy
SN 2006gy was an extremely energetic supernova, sometimes referred to as a hypernova or quark-nova, that was discovered on September 18, 2006. It was first observed by Robert Quimby and P. Mondol, and then studied by several teams of astronomers using facilities that included the Chandra, Lick, and...
, the 2 most powerful supernovae yet recorded. SN 2005ap was an extremely energetic type II
Type II supernova
A Type II supernova results from the rapid collapse and violent explosion of a massive star. A star must have at least 9 times, and no more than 40–50 times the mass of the Sun for this type of explosion. It is distinguished from other types of supernova by the presence of hydrogen in its spectrum...
supernova
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...
. It is reported to be the brightest supernova yet recorded, twice as bright as the previous record holder, SN 2006gy. http://space.newscientist.com/channel/astronomy/dn12778-enigmatic-supernova-smashes-brightness-record.html
Although SN 2005ap was twice as bright at its peak than SN 2006gy it was not as energetic overall as the former brightened and dimmed in a typical period of a few days whereas the latter remained very bright for many months. SN2005ap was about 300 times brighter than normal for a type II supernova. It has been speculated that this supernaove involved the formation of a quark star
Quark star
A quark star or strange star is a hypothetical type of exotic star composed of quark matter, or strange matter. These are ultra-dense phases of degenerate matter theorized to form inside particularly massive neutron stars....
. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008AAS...212.6401L
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine listed the discovery of SN 2006gy as third in its Top 10 Scientific Discoveries for 2007.http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/0,30583,1686204_1686252_1690931,00.html