The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of a supernova, SN 2022abvt, within the spiral galaxy LEDA 132905, located over 400 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. The image, released as Hubble's Picture of the Week, showcases the galaxy's faint spiral structure and patches of bright blue stars.
SN 2022abvt, a Type Ia supernova, was discovered in late 2022. Hubble observed the explosion about two months later, capturing the bright white dot of the supernova in the center of the image. Type Ia supernovae occur when the exposed core of a dead star ignites in a sudden burst of nuclear fusion. These events are crucial for measuring precise distances to other galaxies.
The discovery of SN 2022abvt highlights the importance of robotic telescopes in detecting fleeting cosmic events. The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), designed to track asteroids, also monitors for sudden changes in brightness, such as supernovae, variable stars, and galactic centers powered by black holes.
This observation underscores the ongoing efforts to understand the universe's vastness and the dynamic processes that shape it. Supernovae, like SN 2022abvt, provide valuable insights into stellar evolution, the expansion of the universe, and the distribution of matter in the cosmos.