This is a Hubble Space Telescope composite image of a supernova
explosion designated SN 2014J in the galaxy M82. At a distance of
approximately 11.5 million light-years from Earth it is the closest
supernova of its type discovered in the past few decades. The
explosion is categorized as a Type Ia supernova, which is theorized to
be triggered in binary systems consisting of a white dwarf and another
star — which could be a second white dwarf, a star like our Sun, or a
giant star.
Astronomers using a ground-based telescope discovered the explosion
on January 21, 2014. This Hubble photograph was taken on January 31,
as the supernova approached its peak brightness. The Hubble data are
expected to help astronomers refine distance measurements to Type Ia
supernovae. In addition, the observations could yield insights into
what kind of stars were involved in the explosion. Hubble's
ultraviolet-light sensitivity will allow astronomers to probe the
environment around the site of the supernova explosion and in the
interstellar medium of the host galaxy.
Because of their consistent peak brightness, Type Ia supernovae are
among the best tools to measure distances in the universe. They were
fundamental to the 1998 discovery of the mysterious acceleration of
the expanding universe. A hypothesized repulsive force, called dark
energy, is thought to cause the acceleration.
The January 31 image, shown here as an inset, was taken in visible
light with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3. This image was superimposed
into a photo mosaic of the entire galaxy taken in 2006 with Hubble's
Advanced Camera for Surveys.
Among the other major NASA space-based observatories used in the M82
viewing campaign are Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray
Observatory, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Fermi
Gamma-ray Space Telescope, Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer, and the
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
Source: HubbleSite
