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Stargazers will have the chance to see one of the brightest supernovas, or exploding stars, in decades tonight.
The self-destructing star is 21m light years away from Earth but, weather permitting, is likely to be able to be seen with binoculars or a telescope after twilight.
It was spotted by scientists using the Hubble Telescope at Oxford University on August 24 and is now at its maximum brightness.
The supernova, known as PTF 11kly, occurred in the Pinwheel Galaxy, located in the Ursa Major constellation which is better known as The Plough.
It will appear blueish-white just above and to the left of the last two stars in The Plough's handle.
The explosion, which is classified as a Type 1a event, hurls matter in all directions at nearly one-10th the speed of light and this matter will ultimately form the building blocks of other stars and planets.
Similar supernovae are known to have occurred in the Pinwheel Galaxy at least three times before - in 1909, 1951 and 1970.
But instruments available to observe this one are far more sophisticated, and its early detection is giving scientists an unprecedented glimpse of the phenomenon.
The star is likely to be visible across the whole of Britain if it is not too cloudy this evening but is expected to fade over the next few days.
Experts have said this is a once in a lifetime occurrence that may not happen again for another 100 years.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16065114
The self-destructing star is 21m light years away from Earth but, weather permitting, is likely to be able to be seen with binoculars or a telescope after twilight.
It was spotted by scientists using the Hubble Telescope at Oxford University on August 24 and is now at its maximum brightness.
The supernova, known as PTF 11kly, occurred in the Pinwheel Galaxy, located in the Ursa Major constellation which is better known as The Plough.
It will appear blueish-white just above and to the left of the last two stars in The Plough's handle.
The explosion, which is classified as a Type 1a event, hurls matter in all directions at nearly one-10th the speed of light and this matter will ultimately form the building blocks of other stars and planets.
Similar supernovae are known to have occurred in the Pinwheel Galaxy at least three times before - in 1909, 1951 and 1970.
But instruments available to observe this one are far more sophisticated, and its early detection is giving scientists an unprecedented glimpse of the phenomenon.
The star is likely to be visible across the whole of Britain if it is not too cloudy this evening but is expected to fade over the next few days.
Experts have said this is a once in a lifetime occurrence that may not happen again for another 100 years.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16065114
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