A supernova recently exploded in the Pinwheel arm of the Galaxy (M101). His fiery agony will be observable for a few more months, even with the help of amateur telescopes, astronomers report.

The supernova, now called SN 2023ixf, was first spotted by Japanese Koichi Itagaki on May 19. Star watchers at the Zwicky Transient Facility observatory in California confirmed the cosmic explosion.

“We still don’t know how stars fight their death contractions on the eve of the explosion. It’s very difficult to catch a star on the eve of a supernova because most of it is so far away. This supernova, SN 2023ixf, has a lot to teach us,” he commented.

I have a history of supernovae in this galaxy. There was one in 2011, and we got two Nature papers from it – it taught us a lot about Type Ia, or thermonuclear supernovas. Here is a picture we took together @LCO_Global This now appears in textbooks. (Credit: BJ Fulton/LCO). pic.twitter.com/I3vWm70CWX

— Andy Howell (@d_a_howell) 20 May 2023

Characteristics of a supernova explosion

Astronomers quickly determined that the cosmic explosion was a Type II supernova, in which the core of a massive star suddenly collapses when it runs out of fuel and can no longer resist its own gravity. The supernova’s parent galaxy is relatively close—just 21 million light-years away. NASA claims the explosion is “the closest supernova seen in five years.”

Because the supernova is relatively recent and young by cosmic standards, scientists are keen to study it in hopes it can provide fascinating new details about the evolution of massive stars and how they die.

Hate Starlink

Sky watchers and astronomers have also taken the opportunity to complain that Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellites are confusing the starry sky, a sign of a growing chasm between the billionaire and the astronomy community.

Nothing like a piece of Elon Musk space junk to ruin a live supernova image. pic.twitter.com/wtSqLzYPWF

— David Fuller (@astronomydave) 24 May 2023

“Nothing distorts the image of a supernova like a piece of space debris from Elon Musk’s moons.” We previously reported on how a supernova with a “false” explosion was discovered.