rickeyainsworth

A few friends and family members have been asking me about the recent, well-publicized supernova in M51, a.k.a. the Whirlpool Galaxy. If you’ve also been hoping to catch a glimpse of this massive stellar explosion, these images (specifically the bottom two) might help you find it.

From a dark location, with a small telescope or even a good pair of binoculars, you might be able to pick out the Whirlpool Galaxy as a faint, hazy patch near the Big Dipper’s handle. You’ll be able to see much more detail through a large telescope, and if you look soon, you might even catch a glimpse of the supernova itself.

While you’re viewing it, consider that this object/event, which we see as a tiny pinpoint of light, is a star 10x the size of our Sun, exploding with the energy of roughly 10 trillion hydrogen bombs.

Also consider that the Whirlpool Galaxy is roughly 23 (+/- 4) million light years away. Which means that, although we can watch this stellar explosion tonight, its light had to travel through space for 23 million years before ever reaching our eyes. When we look into the cosmos, we look into the distant past.

If you want to see the supernova, and you’re in Grand Rapids, Michigan, consider heading out to the James C. Veen Observatory or Calvin [College] Observatory, both of which host regular public nights, weather permitting.

If you’re from elsewhere, contact your community’s local amateur astronomy club, planetarium, or observatory, and they’ll happily steer you in the right direction.

Happy stargazing!