galaxy supernova
By combining the efforts of professional and citizen scientists, the
study of cosmic cataclysms expands our understanding of the universe's extraordinary phenomena

Date:
July 11, 2023
Source:
SETI Institute
Summary:
Citizen scientists have set a new record for the SETI Institute
and Unistellar, comprising the highest number of observers
providing data on a single event. Amateur astronomers conducted
a groundbreaking observation of supernova (SN) 2023ixf. The
observations, which began just one hour after the supernova's
first known appearance, have generated the longest continuous
light curve of this supernova gathered by citizen scientists.


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==========================================================================
FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In an unprecedented achievement, citizen scientists have set a
new record for the SETI Institute and Unistellar, comprising the
highest number of observers providing data on a single event. Amateur astronomers participating in the SETI Institute's and Unistellar's
Cosmic Cataclysms program conducted a groundbreaking observation of
supernova (SN) 2023ixf. The observations, which began just one hour
after the supernova's first known appearance, have generated the longest continuous light curve of this supernova gathered by citizen scientists
that has been published to date. The data collection effort involved
123 observers and utilized Unistellar's eVscope, with observations set
to continue until the supernova is no longer visible, likely sometime
in August. The accomplishment highlights the significant contributions
made by citizen scientists in advancing astronomical research.

"It is really incredible what this citizen science network can do," said
Lauren Sgro, who led the study along with Tom Esposito. The two are part
of a team of SETI Institute researchers guided by Franck Marchis, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and Chief Science Officer and co-founder
at Unistellar. "This was the closest supernova of the last decade, and observers took full advantage of the special occasion. They jumped on
target as soon as possible and kept observing, which allowed us to witness
the full potential of this program." The research note, published in
Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, revealed that for
35 days, 252 observations from 115 telescopes captured the supernova's escalating brightness, followed by its gradual decline. This extensive
dataset provides valuable insights into the behavior of this supernova,
thanks to the collaborative efforts of dedicated amateur astronomers.

The supernova (SN) 2023ixf occurred in the Pinwheel Galaxy, a spiral
galaxy located approximately 21 million light-years from Earth. This
explosive event was first discovered on May 19, 2023 by Japanese amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki, although others' observations show that it
first appeared on May 18.

Astronomers believe that the explosion likely led= to the formation of
a neutron star, marking the final evolutionary stage of the star that
went supernova.

The citizen science campaign is part of the Cosmic Cataclysms science
program, jointly undertaken by the SETI Institute and Unistellar. Funded
by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore
Foundation, this program allows citizen astronomers to participate in
studying cataclysmic events such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. By leveraging a newly developed alerts system, the program enables observers
to receive real-time notifications when objects of interest are detected, ensuring swift initiation of observation campaigns. Analyzing the
increase in brightness and subsequent fading of cataclysmic events,
citizen astronomers assist researchers in unraveling crucial details
about the progenitor object and the surrounding interstellar material.

Looking ahead, the Unistellar network of citizen astronomers will continue their endeavors by collaborating with other teams to investigate similar transient events when the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile commences operations next year. By combining the efforts of professional and
citizen scientists, the study of cosmic cataclysms reaches new heights, expanding our understanding of the universe's extraordinary phenomena.

* RELATED_TOPICS
o Space_&_Time
# Astronomy # Galaxies # Nebulae # Cosmic_Rays # Cosmology
# Astrophysics # Big_Bang # Asteroids,_Comets_and_Meteors
* RELATED_TERMS
o Supernova o Crab_Nebula o Astronomy o Nuclear_fusion o
Science o Radio_telescope o Ellipse o Spitzer_space_telescope

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Source: Materials provided by SETI_Institute. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Lauren A. Sgro, Thomas M. Esposito, Guillaume Blaclard, Sebastian
Gomez,
Franck Marchis, Alexei V. Filippenko, Daniel O'Conner Peluso,
Stephen S.

Lawrence, Aad Verveen, Andreas Wagner, Anouchka Nardi, Barbara
Wiart, Benjamin Mirwald, Bill Christensen, Bob Eramia, Bruce
Parker, Bruno Guillet, Byungki Kim, Chelsey A. Logan, Christopher
C. M. Kyba, Christopher Toulmin, Claudio G. Vantaggiato, Dana
Adhis, Dave Gary, Dave Goodey, David Dickinson, David Koster,
Davy Martin, Eliud Bonilla, Enner Chung, Eric Miny, Fabrice
Mortecrette, Fadi Saibi, Francois O. Gagnon, Franois Simard, Gary
Vacon, Georges Simard, Gerrit Dreise, Hiromi Funakoshi, Janet
Vacon, James Yaniz, Jean-Charles Le Tarnec, Jean-Marie Laugier,
Jennifer L. W. Siders, Jim Sweitzer, Jiri Dvoracek, John Archer,
John Deitz, John K. Bradley, Keiichi Fukui, Kendra Sibbernsen,
Kevin Borrot, Kevin Cross, Kevin Heider, Koichi Yamaguchi, Lea
A. Hirsch, Liouba Leroux, Mario Billiani, Markus Lorber, Martin
J. Smallen, Masao Shimizu, Masayoshi Nishimura, Matthew Ryno,
Michael Cunningham, Michael Gagnon, Michael Primm, Michael Rushton,
Michael Sibbernsen, Mike Mitchell, Neil Yoblonsky, Niniane Leroux,
Olivier Clerget, Ozren Stojanović, Patrice Unique, Patrick
Huth, Raymund John Ang, Regis Santoni, Robert Foster, Roberto
Poggiali, Ruyi Xu, Ryuichi Kukita, Sanja Sćepanović,
Sophie Saibi, Stefan Will, Stephan Latour, Stephen Haythornthwaite,
Sylvain Cadieux, Thoralf Mu"ller, Tze Yang Chung, Yoshiya Watanabe,
Yvan Arnaud. Photometry of Type II Supernova SN 2023ixf with a
Worldwide Citizen Science Network. Research Notes of the AAS,
2023; 7 (7): 141 DOI: 10.3847/2515-5172/ace41f ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230711133116.htm

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