Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Virgo (Vir)  ·  Contains:  M 61  ·  NGC 4292  ·  NGC 4301  ·  NGC 4303
M61 - And a Supernova, Jason Guenzel
M61 - And a Supernova
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M61 - And a Supernova

M61 - And a Supernova, Jason Guenzel
M61 - And a Supernova
Powered byPixInsight

M61 - And a Supernova

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Description

Messier 61 is over 50 million light years away. The galaxy is riddled with the pink glow of hydrogen emission and the blue shimmer of young energetic supergiant stars. This indicates it’s actively forming and recycling star stuff. With a supernova in there, that stellar circle of life is really on display.

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About the supernova:

This is a Type II event. The massive star depleted its nuclear fuel. As it exhausted light elements like hydrogen and helium, it began fusing heavier and heavier elements, eventually reaching iron. At this point, it could no longer support itself with outward pressure against the tremendous gravity. This type of supernova starts with an implosion and an almost immediate reversal to a massive explosion which, as you can see here, can literally outshine an entire galaxy for many weeks. Though this process, it seeds the building blocks for a new generation.

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Description: Supernova annotation

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M61 - And a Supernova, Jason Guenzel