Telescope Reviews: SN 2011fe in M101 Type Ia

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Observing >> Deep Sky Observing

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Scott K
Non-standard Title

Reged: 09/13/07

Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: nytecam]
#4771308 - 08/27/11 12:06 AM

Looking at it right now, It seems brighter to me than the two stars flanking it.

Post Extras:

hottr6
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 06/28/09

Loc: 7,500', Magdalena Mtns, NM

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Scott K]
#4771359 - 08/27/11 12:59 AM

I cannot see it or the two flanking stars in my 10".

AAVSO reports it as currently <13.4, which I should see. It is getting low in the West and maybe I did not wait late enough. I turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

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nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Scott K]
#4771452 - 08/27/11 03:04 AM

Well done

My mag 13.0 @ 2030UT last night Aug 26 spot-on with AAVSO estimates about then here

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lunar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/03/10

Loc: NY, United Sates

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: nytecam]
#4772685 - 08/27/11 06:45 PM

I'll have to see if I can get it over the next week or so...it could be my 6th supernova this year

Clear skies,
Brandon Doyle

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Bill Weir
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/01/04

Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Scott K]
#4773098 - 08/28/11 12:15 AM

Quote:

Looking at it right now, It seems brighter to me than the two stars flanking it.

Nice to see someone else has tried visually. It was dead easy with my 12.5" under a reasonable sky but certainly not as dark as I'm used to. In fact I was so surprised at how bright it was that I thought I must be on the wrong spot except the star field at this part of the galaxy is unmistakable. In fact I think I might just throw my 6" out and see what happens.....Bye.

Bill

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wfj
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 01/10/08

Loc: California, Santa Cruz County

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Bill Weir]
#4773163 - 08/28/11 01:23 AM

Found it with my 4" refractor at 25x. Seems brighter than 13 mag. Thank you Maurice for your photos - they do a fair job of what I saw.

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Scott K
Non-standard Title

Reged: 09/13/07

Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: wfj]
#4773253 - 08/28/11 03:43 AM

I looked at it again tonight. It seemed noticeably brighter to me than it was last night.

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nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Scott K]
#4773257 - 08/28/11 04:42 AM Attachment (43 downloads)

Quote:

I looked at it again tonight. It seemed noticeably brighter to me than it was last night.

I estimate from my unfiltered images that SN ~m12.6 last night Aug 27@ 2137UT - pic below

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Matt2003
Post Laureate

Reged: 04/22/10

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: nytecam]
#4773630 - 08/28/11 11:30 AM

Its gotten quite bright, I may have to try for it tonight.

Clear Skies,
Matt

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Alvin Huey
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/18/05

Loc: NorCal

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Matt2003]
#4774844 - 08/28/11 11:41 PM

Saw it last night with a 4" refractor at a NELM 7.2 site. It was blazing, I suspect it would be easy with 80mm binos.

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george golitzin
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/24/06

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Alvin Huey]
#4774980 - 08/29/11 01:22 AM

I agree, it's very bright now--I'd say it's at least a full magnitude brighter than the star just north of the core. I was looking in my 16 inch at home under less than transparent skies (in an orange zone)--it would have been easy in a much smaller aperture even here. Centered in a 20-arcminute field, it was easily the brightest star in the field.

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MimaDon
member

Reged: 09/05/10

Loc: Littlerock WA, USA

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: george golitzin]
#4774993 - 08/29/11 01:45 AM

I just got done having a look with my 12. It's very easy to spot (relatively dark sky but lousy seeing conditions).

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ClusterNut
member

Reged: 01/11/11

Loc: Reston, VA

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: MimaDon]
#4775048 - 08/29/11 03:07 AM

I've been having trouble finding M101 definitively - 6" Dob, red zone (by coincidence, I've been trying to find it since about 8/20). I do the star-hop from Mizar, and I land on the only fuzzy patch I can find nearby, in about the right spot in the finder scope. Also, there seem to be no other NGC objects in the area. That would lead me to conclude that I should be on it. However, the drawings I've made don't quite line up with what I expect.

The questions: is there anything else in the M101 area that could be confused (under red skies) for a galaxy? Also, is red skies and a 6" reasonable for finding the supernova? Thanks for any help, this one's driving me crazy.

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RLTYS
Post Laureate

Reged: 12/18/04

Loc: New York (Long Island)

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: ClusterNut]
#4775126 - 08/29/11 06:04 AM

I also live in a red zone, forget trying to see M101 in order to see the SN, you need to look for star patterns. Go to the AAVSO web site and download a chart for SN 2011fe. It will make it a little easier to locate the SN.

Rich (RLTYS)

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hoglahoo
member

Reged: 12/01/10

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: RLTYS]
#4775418 - 08/29/11 10:12 AM

I live in the middle of a red zone. My naked-eye view to the north is limited to 5.0 magnitude stars (with difficulty on good nights), and I have never seen any hint of M101 in my 8" dob. I did find the SN last night though (after rechecking half a dozen times to be sure the speck of light was exactly where it was), and it looked to be very close to the magnitudes of three local stars which are listed as 11.2 - 11.9

I have a 6" dob as well and may try with it tonight just to see, if it is clear

Edited by hoglahoo (08/29/11 10:14 AM)

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nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: hoglahoo]
#4775538 - 08/29/11 11:16 AM Attachment (31 downloads)

Better night last night Aug 28 for shot below - I estimate SN = ~m12.3

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nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: nytecam]
#4775728 - 08/29/11 12:29 PM Attachment (32 downloads)

2nd image widefield via my piggybacked ETX-70 seems to indicate the SN is brighter @ ~m11.8 than my earlier estimate so perhaps between the two. Even 5sec exp via 70mm OG records it thus

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lunar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/03/10

Loc: NY, United Sates

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: nytecam]
#4776081 - 08/29/11 03:33 PM

I got an accurate estimate in an email from someone who was using a major telescope somewhere...if I remember correctly, they put it at about magnitude 10.96 - Very, Very bright indeed! I saw it visually last night with my 10" reflector and got a sketch as well...hope to post it soon, along with another of the last one I caught. This was my 6th this year

Clear skies,
Brandon Doyle

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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster

Reged: 04/08/02

Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: lunar]
#4776146 - 08/29/11 04:02 PM

A number of people have been observing SN 2011fe from Cherry Springs State Park the past few nights. This type Ia supernova, the youngest on which spectrum data has been collected, is only 21 million light years distant and is brightening at a very rapid pace. The Bright Supernova site currently lists its magnitude at 11.7. Saturday night was cloudy and windy due to Hurricane Irene but last night was very transparent. SN 2011fe was rather easy to see in my 10" Sky-Watcher Collapsible Dob and simply unmistakable through two 20" Starmaster Sky Tracker Dobs belonging to friends of mine. The supernova was clearly brighter last night that it had been on Friday night.

SN 2011dh in M51 is still visible through a 20" aperture.

Dave Mitsky

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mountain monk
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/06/09

Loc: Grand Teton National Park

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? [Re: Dave Mitsky]
#4776405 - 08/29/11 06:17 PM

nytecam: Thanks for the pictures--very helpful. Going after it tonight.

Dark skies.

mm

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