Telescope Reviews: SN 2011fe in M101 Type Ia

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MimaDon
member

Reged: 09/05/10

Loc: Littlerock WA, USA

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 (with binocs!!!) new

[Re: Joad]
#4785766 - 09/03/11 03:19 AM

I was able to see the supernova with a pair of 15 X 50 binoculars this evening. The sky was dark enough to see the smudge of M101 and the supernova was slipping in and out of view.

Very cool!

Grab your binoculars and give it a try.

By the way, I had a look with my 12", and the supernova is dramatically brighter than the last time I looked back on the 29th. It far outshines all the other stars in the immediate vicinity of the extended galaxy.

Clear (and dark) skies!

Edited by MimaDon (09/03/11 03:30 AM)

Post Extras:

lunar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/03/10

Loc: NY, United Sates

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Joad]
#4786273 - 09/03/11 11:27 AM

Estimates put it at magnitude ~10.6, the brightest one this year. Here's a link to my sketch of it not too long ago, it certainly seems as though I'll have to sketch it again soon!

http://brandon-doyle.weebly.com/m101--sn2011ef.html

By the way, I've also posted it in the Sketching forum not too far away, so you can also go there to see it at this link:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4785090/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Clear skies, and the best of luck in your observations of this one,
Brandon Doyle

Post Extras:

Joad
Wordsmith

Reged: 03/22/05

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: lunar]
#4786482 - 09/03/11 01:20 PM

Quote:

Estimates put it at magnitude ~10.6, the brightest one this year. Here's a link to my sketch of it not too long ago, it certainly seems as though I'll have to sketch it again soon!

http://brandon-doyle.weebly.com/m101--sn2011ef.html

By the way, I've also posted it in the Sketching forum not too far away, so you can also go there to see it at this link:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4785090/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Clear skies, and the best of luck in your observations of this one,
Brandon Doyle

That's a marvelous sketch! My view of M101 itself was so washed out by lunar light that I would not swear under oath about which spiral arm I saw a bright star in (I could see at least another good candidate for the SN that your sketch verifies), but I'm rather certain I've identified the right star. It is bright indeed.

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MimaDon
member

Reged: 09/05/10

Loc: Littlerock WA, USA

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Joad]
#4786770 - 09/03/11 04:02 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Estimates put it at magnitude ~10.6, the brightest one this year. Here's a link to my sketch of it not too long ago, it certainly seems as though I'll have to sketch it again soon!

http://brandon-doyle.weebly.com/m101--sn2011ef.html

By the way, I've also posted it in the Sketching forum not too far away, so you can also go there to see it at this link:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4785090/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Clear skies, and the best of luck in your observations of this one,
Brandon Doyle

That's a marvelous sketch! My view of M101 itself was so washed out by lunar light that I would not swear under oath about which spiral arm I saw a bright star in (I could see at least another good candidate for the SN that your sketch verifies), but I'm rather certain I've identified the right star. It is bright indeed.

The supernova is bright enough now that if you can perceive the galaxy, you will see the nova as much brighter than any of the superimposed stars.

It's unmistakable now.

So how often do supernovas get into the under 11 mag category?

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sgottlieb
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 07/22/07

Loc: SF Bay area

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: MimaDon]
#4787145 - 09/03/11 07:40 PM

Not often under 11th magnitude. The last I recall was the one in M81 (1993J) 18 years back, which peaked around mag 10.5. Of course, that's nothing compared to 1987A in the LMC, which reached third magnitude, I believe.

Post Extras:

Matt2003
Post Laureate

Reged: 04/22/10

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: sgottlieb]
#4787182 - 09/03/11 08:07 PM

At the current brightness, this SN far outshines that ghost of a galaxy. LOL
Seeing my second, and this one is actually brighter than M.51's was. And so soon after that one, too.
Very, VERY cool. I think I'm getting hooked.
Unfortunately, this will mean viewing a lot more galaxies, which are very elusive to my 8inch scope & orange/Red skies. But then a challenge is a challenge..

Clear skies,
Matt

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lunar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/03/10

Loc: NY, United Sates

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Matt2003]
#4787214 - 09/03/11 08:26 PM

I love challenges! That's primarily why galaxies are my favorite objects to view. Every one is different, no matter which one you look at.

SN2011fe certainly has gotten bright...gee, I hope to god I get to see one of 3rd magnitude! Then again...I've got a lot of life left in me, so maybe in the next 75 years or so, another like the one that caused the Crab Nebula thousands of years ago could happen again?

Let's just pray

Clear skies,
Brandon Doyle

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Patricko
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/30/07

Loc: USA

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: lunar]
#4787380 - 09/03/11 10:05 PM

Caught this supernova with my 11x56 (11.75x48mm) binoculars Sept. 1st under 5.7 magnitude skies from 9:15 to 9:45pm local time. Seen averted vision ~15% of the time as I was hand-holding the binoculars. Verified with a ST120 f/5 at 85x. Direct vision 100% of the time with the ST120, seen SW of the core, seen in same location with the 11x56s. My first binocular supernova! Anyone else give it a try yet?

Clear skies,
Patrick

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blb
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/25/05

Loc: Piedmont NC

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Patricko]
#4787452 - 09/03/11 10:39 PM

Quote:

Caught this supernova with my 11x56 (11.75x48mm) binoculars Sept. 1st under 5.7 magnitude skies from 9:15 to 9:45pm local time. ... Anyone else give it a try yet?

Clear skies,
Patrick

Just waiting for the clouds to go away so I can try to see it with my binoculars.

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mountain monk
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/06/09

Loc: Grand Teton National Park

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: blb]
#4787592 - 09/04/11 12:06 AM

Darn smoke!!!--or I would be trying with my 16x70s.

Dark skies.

mm

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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: mountain monk]
#4787629 - 09/04/11 12:37 AM

The Bright Supernova page now lists SN 2011fe's magnitude at 10.5.

Dave Mitsky

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Ed J
member

Reged: 05/31/07

Loc: Tujunga, California

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Dave Mitsky]
#4787643 - 09/04/11 12:52 AM Attachment (21 downloads)

My shot the M101 supernova taken on 9/2/11 from light polluted Los Angeles is posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/6101317579 ... what it looks like in the same scope visually is about this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/6093871039/

Edited by Ed J (09/05/11 11:02 AM)

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Feidb
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/09/09

Loc: Nevada

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Ed J]
#4788122 - 09/04/11 10:43 AM

Saw it last night. Very bright skies with almost half a moon but still saw it. Couldn't even see the galaxy all that well but saw the little dot. At first thought it was the star next to the core but found out it was the one further away and on the opposite side. I wish I'd had a map to save some initial grief.

I was actually going for the SN in M-51. Don't think I nailed that one as I hear it's faded well beyond the range of what we were seeing last night. I saw some stars that were probably just regular foreground stars but I couldn't tell for sure.

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LivingNDixie
TSP Chowhound

Reged: 04/23/03

Loc: Trussville, AL

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: blb]
#4788467 - 09/04/11 01:58 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Caught this supernova with my 11x56 (11.75x48mm) binoculars Sept. 1st under 5.7 magnitude skies from 9:15 to 9:45pm local time. ... Anyone else give it a try yet?

Clear skies,
Patrick

Just waiting for the clouds to go away so I can try to see it with my binoculars.

I hear you, we are to be under rain till at least Monday. Darn tropical storms!!!

Post Extras:

blb
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/25/05

Loc: Piedmont NC

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: LivingNDixie]
#4788686 - 09/04/11 03:46 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Just waiting for the clouds to go away so I can try to see it with my binoculars.

I hear you, we are to be under rain till at least Monday. Darn tropical storms!!!

As it ends for you, it will be starting for us. Forcast is for rain here, for at least the next week.

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timokarhula
sage

Reged: 01/30/06

Loc: Sweden

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Patricko]
#4788944 - 09/04/11 05:49 PM

I just came in from observing SN2011fe in M101 with binoculars. With 20x80, I estimated the supernova as magnitude 10.1 (Sept. 4.855 UT). It was also visible in 10x50 binoculars. I was lucky again because just a few minutes later Ursa Major went behind clouds. The skies were not so good, ZLM about 5.5.

/Timo Karhula

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Thunderf00t
newbie

Reged: 05/26/08

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: timokarhula]
#4789095 - 09/04/11 07:06 PM

Its brightened up a hell of a lot over the past few days.

animation of first week,
animation of first week of supernova in M101

picture from 25th Aug
Night of 25th Aug.

picture of last night (3rd sept)
night of 3rd sept

BTW, if anyone has any suggestions as to how to get sensible converged colors on these pictures, I'm all ears. Galaxies seem to come out different colors from day to day (whats in the atmosphere?, these pictures do get photons through a lot of atmosphere later on)

Images comprised of 20s unguided exposures (chosen frames) of a cpc1100 (alt az) with a canon 60d at prime focus (f6.3 reducer). ~ 1hr exposures @ iso 2500 selected from ~3 hrs total.

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Feidb
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/09/09

Loc: Nevada

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Thunderf00t]
#4789351 - 09/04/11 09:35 PM

Saw it last night from Corn Creek station, just north of Las Vegas. Couldn't see the galaxy worth spit due to transparency but saw the core and that bright star next to it, which I at first mistook for the SN. Then I figured out which was the actual SN and adjusted accordingly. This is my first supergalactic SN.

I tried for the one in M-51 also but never saw it. I heard it has already faded to something in the mag. 14 range or dimmer. Last night I was lucky to see much dimmer than mag. 12.5 due to the thick sky.

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mountain monk
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/06/09

Loc: Grand Teton National Park

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? new

[Re: Feidb]
#4789408 - 09/04/11 10:18 PM

An article on the new supernova from The Washington Post is here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/brightest-supernova-in-decades-serves-up-cosmic-clues-for-astronomers/2011/08/31/gIQA88CqwJ_story.html?hpid=z4

Dark skies.

mm

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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy

Reged: 09/19/08

Re: Type Ia SN in Messier 101 ? [Re: mountain monk]
#4789577 - 09/04/11 11:53 PM

MM,

Good article! Interesting that the leading candidate right now are two PN's that collided. Here is a sketch from a trip to Wolf Creek Pass in Utah at 9912 feet I made of the SN:

Seeing was Antoniadi II; 14 XX14i, 14mm and 7mm Pentax XW; September 2nd, 11:10p.m. MDT;

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