Philosophy
This is remarkable.
"14-Year-Old Discovers Rare Supernova"
by
Terrence O'Brien
June 16th, 2009
Switched
If nine-year-olds can work for Microsoft and become feared professional gamers, why can't a 14-year-old leave her mark on the world of astronomy? Oh, wait, she can -- as proven by Caroline Moore, a student from upstate New York who discovered an exploding star that occurred in a galaxy roughly 70 million light years away.
All the way back in November, Caroline spotted the faint glow in the sky with nothing more than a low-powered telescope. Word got out and after months of monitoring at some of the most advanced installations in the world, astronomers decided that the explosion was a curiously small supernova.
This particular example was of special note because it was much less powerful than your normal supernova -- if you can call gigantic stars exploding with so much energy that their light can outshine entire galaxies "normal." Indeed, scientists believe that the explosion Caroline detected could be the weakest supernova ever recorded. Astrophysicists like Ryan Foley of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have speculated that this particular instance was an explosion that failed, perhaps only partially destroying the star. Still, the object was labeled 'SN 2008ha,' technically classing it a supernova.
"Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever," Alex Filippenko, leader of the University of California, Berkeley supernova group, told the Space Fellowship. "This shows that no matter what your age, anyone can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the Universe."
Caroline is just the latest in a long line of amateur astronomers who have made important contributions to the understanding of our universe. Check out the gallery below for a few more ordinary people who made extraordinary discoveries.
- Amateur Astronomer, Tom Boles, Holds Record For Supernova Discoveries
"Astronomer Tom’s years of reaching for the stars" November 18th, 2012 Bury Free Press World record breaking astronomer Tom Boles has discovered more supernovas than anyone in history, has had an asteroid named after him and has even had the Hubble...
- Halloween Treats From Space
Black Widow Nebula In the constellation Circinus, where previous visible-light observations see only a faint hourglass-shaped patch of obscuring dust and gas, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope's dust-piercing eyes see a big "Black Widow Nebula"...
- Caroline Moore...rising Astronomer
A remarkable career in the making. "The sky's no limit for Warwick teen astronomer" NASA has invited her to final shuttle launch by Alyssa Sunkin July 5th, 2011 Times Herald-Record At 17, Caroline Moore has accomplished more than most people do...
- More Stars
I suppose that this news will make one feel better...three times the chance of alien encounter[s]. Regardless, it is humbling. "How Many Stars? Three Times as Many as We Thought, Report Says" by Kenneth Chang December 1st, 2010 The New York Times It...
- "astronomy" Magazine Announces Winner
Congratulations to Adam Atanas. "Astronomy selects 2010 Youth Essay Contest winner" by Karri Ferron March 1st, 2010 Astronomy Eleven-year-old Adam Atanas of Houston wins a trip to the Northeast Astronomy Forum & Telescope Show (NEAF) with his entry...
Philosophy
Caroline Moore [14] discovers a rare supernova
Caroline Moore
This is remarkable.
"14-Year-Old Discovers Rare Supernova"
by
Terrence O'Brien
June 16th, 2009
Switched
All the way back in November, Caroline spotted the faint glow in the sky with nothing more than a low-powered telescope. Word got out and after months of monitoring at some of the most advanced installations in the world, astronomers decided that the explosion was a curiously small supernova.
This particular example was of special note because it was much less powerful than your normal supernova -- if you can call gigantic stars exploding with so much energy that their light can outshine entire galaxies "normal." Indeed, scientists believe that the explosion Caroline detected could be the weakest supernova ever recorded. Astrophysicists like Ryan Foley of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have speculated that this particular instance was an explosion that failed, perhaps only partially destroying the star. Still, the object was labeled 'SN 2008ha,' technically classing it a supernova.
"Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever," Alex Filippenko, leader of the University of California, Berkeley supernova group, told the Space Fellowship. "This shows that no matter what your age, anyone can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the Universe."
Caroline is just the latest in a long line of amateur astronomers who have made important contributions to the understanding of our universe. Check out the gallery below for a few more ordinary people who made extraordinary discoveries.
- Amateur Astronomer, Tom Boles, Holds Record For Supernova Discoveries
"Astronomer Tom’s years of reaching for the stars" November 18th, 2012 Bury Free Press World record breaking astronomer Tom Boles has discovered more supernovas than anyone in history, has had an asteroid named after him and has even had the Hubble...
- Halloween Treats From Space
Black Widow Nebula In the constellation Circinus, where previous visible-light observations see only a faint hourglass-shaped patch of obscuring dust and gas, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope's dust-piercing eyes see a big "Black Widow Nebula"...
- Caroline Moore...rising Astronomer
A remarkable career in the making. "The sky's no limit for Warwick teen astronomer" NASA has invited her to final shuttle launch by Alyssa Sunkin July 5th, 2011 Times Herald-Record At 17, Caroline Moore has accomplished more than most people do...
- More Stars
I suppose that this news will make one feel better...three times the chance of alien encounter[s]. Regardless, it is humbling. "How Many Stars? Three Times as Many as We Thought, Report Says" by Kenneth Chang December 1st, 2010 The New York Times It...
- "astronomy" Magazine Announces Winner
Congratulations to Adam Atanas. "Astronomy selects 2010 Youth Essay Contest winner" by Karri Ferron March 1st, 2010 Astronomy Eleven-year-old Adam Atanas of Houston wins a trip to the Northeast Astronomy Forum & Telescope Show (NEAF) with his entry...