Supernova SN 2017gxq and NGC 4964: an image – 17 Oct. 2017
While not perfectly placed in the sky in this season, we observed the bright supernova SN 2017gxq in NGC 4964, placed at more than 100 millions light years. And we bring it down to Earth.
Supernova SN 2017gxq and NGC 4964: 17 Oct. 2017
NGC 4964, hosting the supernova SN 2017gxq, is a lenticular galaxy, placed in constellation of Ursa Major, at more than 100 millions of light years from our home planet.
The image above comes from the average of eight, 60-seconds exposures, remotely taken with the “Elena” (PlaneWave 17″+Paramount ME+SBIG STL-6303E) robotic unit part of the Virtual Telescope Project. The transient is marked with two short, red lines. Imaging this transient was not straightforward, as the galaxy is showing in a part of the sky which is far from being ideally placed in Oct. We had to image it at twilight, soon after sunset.
Supernova SN 2017gxq was estimated to be at mag. 14.8 (R mags for the reference stars from UCAC-4). It has been identified with a type Ia supernova. If you have a large telescope, you can try to observe it.
We plan to observe this supernova again in the future.
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