This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the galaxy LEDA 857074 in the constellation Eridanus. LEDA 857074 is a barred spiral galaxy with partially broken branches. Also visible is supernova SN 2022ADQZ shining brightly to the right of the galactic bar.

Various evolutionary paths can lead to a supernova explosion. One of these is the death of a supermassive star. When a supermassive star runs out of hydrogen fuel, it enters a phase in which it fuses the remaining elements into increasingly heavier ones. These final fusion reactions create a decreasing external force (radiation pressure) to balance the inward gravitational pull of the star.

As heavier elements form in the core of a star, the core itself begins to collapse completely under the influence of its own gravity, and the outer layers of the star are blown away during a supernova explosion. Depending on the star’s initial mass, the core may collapse into just neutrons, leaving behind a neutron star, or the gravity may be so great that it may collapse into a black hole.

In late 2022, astronomers discovered the supernova SN 2022ADQZ using an automated probe. This discovery led them to look at the supernova’s host galaxy, LEDA 857074, with Hubble in early 2023.

Hubble’s sharp vision means it can see supernovas that are billions of light-years away and difficult to study with other telescopes. The image of a supernova from Earth is usually combined with an image of its host galaxy, but by measuring the supernova directly, Hubble can distinguish the light from that of a supernova from that of its host galaxy.

Astronomers discover thousands of supernovae every year, but the odds of spotting one in any galaxy out of the millions catalogued are slim. With this supernova, LEDA 857074 joins the other celestial bodies with its own Hubble image.