NGC 5985, NGC 5982 and NGC 5981: a galaxy trio in Draco
The Cosmos out there is full of beauty. Even to the naked eyes, stargazing is always a wonderful trip: looking up, pushing your sight far deep both in space and time is a mind-blow...
Category: galaxy
Supernova SN 2014bc in Messier 106: a new image (29 May 2014)
Last 21 May, a possible supernova was reported in Messier 106, a famous galaxy in Canes Venatici. At Virtual Telescope we did immediate follow-up, confirming the transient was real, doing spectroscopy and identifying it...
Supernova SN 2014bc (was PSN J12185771+4718113) in M106: image and spectroscopy
Updates (22 May 2014): the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) issued CBET 3877 (subscription required), were this object is officially designed SN 2014bc. The mentioned CBET reports our observations: ” Additional unfiltered CCD magnitudes for 2014bc:...
Bright supernova SN 2014J in Messier 82: new image (28 Mar. 2014)
After a few weeks, Virtual Telescope looked at SN 2014J and its hosting galaxy, Messier 82, to check how bright the supernova was. Above is an image coming from the average of four, 120-seconds...
Crowded, cosmic voids
Last night, at Virtual Telescope we used a short break in the cloud coverage to confirm some possible supernovae. This is a field where the Virtual Telescope really does a great job: over the...
Bright supernova SN 2014J in Messier 82: new hi-res image (2 Mar. 2014)
Supernova SN 2014J and its host galaxy Messier 82 were well-placed in the sky last night, when the clouds left the stars shining in a steady atmosphere for a while. The Planewave 17 robotic unit was...
Messier 81, Messier 82 and supernova SN 2014J: an image
The recently discovered supernova SN 2014J is hosted by the well-known irregular galaxy Messier 82. This cosmic island, about 12 millions of light years from us, is making a very beautiful couple with Messier...
Supernova PSN J02224207+2816012 in IC 221: image and spectroscopy
As part of its scientific activities, the Virtual Telescope provides follow-up of supernova candidates. On 28 Aug. 2013, the PlaneWave 17″ unit was slewed to IC 221, locating the suspect PSN J02224207+2816012 and confirming it...
Supernova SN 2013ev in IC 1296
Those loving stargazing are well aware of Messier 57, one of the most beautiful deep sky objects. Quite interesting, this famous nebula is apparently close to a galaxy, IC 1296. This is a...
Supernova SN 2013ej in Messier 74: animation and spectrum (1 Aug. 2013)
Above is an animation showing the supernova SN 2013ej in Messier 74 blinking: it compares a recent shot with an archive frame, dating back in 2012. The effect is spectacular: the SN seems to jump...
Supernova SN 2013ej in Messier 74: image and spectrum (30 July 2013)
On 25.5 July 2013 the Lick Observatory Supernova Search reported a possible supernova in Messier 74. On 28.02 July, the Celestron c14 robotic unit was slewed to that transient, confirming it, despite the very strong...
NGC 5907 – Dra
Lurking among the northern stars of Draco there is a smudge of light, announcing the presence of a deep sky object. It is the wonderful NGC 5907, also known as the Knife Edge or...
Supernova 2013bu in NGC 7331: 12 May 2013
Last 21 Apr. 2013 K. Itagaki discovered a new supernova in the famous and wonderful spiral galaxy NGC 7331, in Pegasus. It resulted to be a type II supernova. The Virtual Telescope imaged the...
Messier 66 in Leo: a colour view
Looking at the sky and its depths, one is impressed by the unmatched beauty she/he meets up there. But some objects “shines” with their special charm. Among them, Messier 66. Placed at about 35...
