Posted by Davin Flateau on 5 Jul 2005 at 3:50 pm.
Filed under Astronomy.
[Updated on 7/8 with a newly processed image]
Deep Impact isn’t the only celestial explosion in the sky right now. As we reported last week, a new supernova designated SN2005cs has been discovered in M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy. Exploration Place’s Martin Ratcliffe captured the incredibly bright exploding star on July 1 from the grounds of Lake Afton Observatory, using a 4-inch Televue refractor and an ST2000-XM CCD camera. The image is a combination of three 20-second exposures, and the supernova is marked by the two crosshairs in the picture.
It’s astounding to think of the amount of energy being expelled in these stellar explosions. That tiny bright dot is just one star outshining the hundreds of billions of stars in its parent galaxy. But soon the explosion will run its course, and the star will dim, eventually disappearing from our view. The shocked remains will fade into the anonymity of the rest of its galaxy’s stars, gas and dust.
This stellar catastrophe took place long before there were people on earth - 37 million years ago. Earth was a very different place back then. Alien-looking 6-horned rhinoceroses roamed the planet. Our primate ancestors were just appearing. Whales were 60-foot long snake-like creatures that still had tiny back legs from their predecessors’ time on land!
Light from this particular supernova has been tirelessly traveling through intergalactic space through the ages. During its travels, the continents drifted, a comet or asteroid smashed into Chesapeake Bay, millions of species evolved, only to become extinct in the blink of a geologic eye. Toward the end of the explosion’s ride, a certain brand of primates started to walk upright. This brought them that much closer to the stars, at which they gazed in curious wonder.
That’s the great thing about astronomy- even a tiny dot can give you chills.
Tom on 7 Jul 2005 at 6:16 pm: 1
Great picture. I will give it a try the next time the sky clears; maybe Sunday. Probably not as good as this shot though. Giving the exposure is MUCH appreciated too!
dflateau on 8 Jul 2005 at 2:31 pm: 2
I am just incredibly impressed with the ST-2000 XM. I don’t think I’ve seen a better CCD camera in the $3000 range.
Take a look at what this person has been able to do with it! Martin turned me on to that site, and it’s amazing!
Tom on 8 Jul 2005 at 3:27 pm: 3
All I can say is….WOW! You’re right — amazing!
Tom’s Astronomy Blog » Blog Archive » Supernova 2005cs on 8 Jul 2005 at 4:18 pm: 4
[…] and Stars Over Kansas at Exploration Place has a post on it here. Martin Ratcliffe took a picture of it with a Televue refractor and an ST2000 XM CCD camera. While I was there I was directed t […]