Type Ia supernova

This Swift UVOT image shows M82 before the explosion and combines data acquired between 2007 and 2013. Mid-ultraviolet light is shown in blue, near-UV light in green, and visible light in red. The image is 17 arcminutes across, or slightly more than half the apparent diameter of a full moon.Credit: NASA/Swift/P. Brown, TAMU An exceptionally close stellar explosion discovered on Jan. 21 has become the focus of observatories around and above the globe, including several NASA spacecraft. The blast, designated SN 2014J, occurred in the galaxy M82 and lies only about 12 million light-years away. This makes it the nearest optical supernova in two decades and potentially the closest type Ia supernova to occur during the life of currently operating space missions. As befits its moniker, Swift was the first to take a look. On Jan. 22, just a day after the explosion was discovered, Swift s UVOT captured the new supernova in three exposures taken on Jan. 22, 2014. Mid-ultraviolet light is shown in blue, near-UV light in green, and visible light in red. Thick dust in M82 scatters much of the highest-energy light, which is why the supernova appears yellowish here. The image is 17 arcminutes across, or slightly more than half the apparent diameter of a full moon.Credit: NASA/Swift/P. Brown, TAMU A wider view showing M82 before the explosion, from Swift UVOT data acquired between 2007 and 2013. Mid-ultraviolet light is shown in blue, near-UV light in green, and visible light in red. The image is 22.5 arcminutes across, or 75 percent of the apparent diameter of a full moon.Credit: NASA/Swift/P. Brown, TAMU A wider view showing M82 post-explosion in three Swift UVOT exposures taken on Jan. 22, 2014. Mid-ultraviolet light is shown in blue, near-UV light in green, and visible light in red. Thick dust in M82 scatters much of the highest-energy light, which is why the supernova appears yellowish here. The image is 22.5 arcminutes across, or 75 percent of the apparent diameter of a full moon.Credit: NASA/Swift/P. Brown, TAMU This animated GIF of Swift UVOT images shows M82 before and after the new supernova. The pre-explosion view combines data taken between 2007 and 2013. The view showing SN 2014J merges three exposures taken on Jan. 22, 2014. Mid-ultraviolet light is shown in blue, near-UV light in green, and visible light in red. Credit: NASA/Swift/P. Brown, TAMU