Supernova in M82 galaxy

Recently astronomers have observed at new supernova, a massive stellar explosion, in the M82 galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major.

Image Credit : UCL/University of London Observatory/Steve Fossey/Ben Cooke/Guy Pollack/Matthew Wilde/Thomas Wright

The supernova (now designated SN 2014J) was around magnitude 11 when first discovered, requiring a relatively large telescope to observe it. It is set to brighten over the next week or so to somewhere around magnitude 8, visible in modest telescopes.

Full details are available here and here.

Congratulations to the discovery team, students from my old university Physics and Astronomy department at University College London.