14-Year-Old Discovers Rare Supernova in Nearby Galaxy

FOXNews.com ^ | Sunday, June 14, 2009 | FOX NEWS

[metmom]

While some 14-year-olds are scoring their mall to find the latest fashions, Caroline Moore discovered a supernova in a nearby galaxy.

Astronomers say Moore is the youngest person to ever discover a supernova — and in her case, an extremely rare one, ScienceDaily.com reports.

The supernova, that scientists have coined SN 2008ha, is a new type of stellar explosion that may be the weakest of its kind ever seen.

[allmost]

Not at all.

[siamesecats]

Hey sig226, have you seen this story?

Great job to her!

[plsvn]

I been looking at that thing for years. Never though much of it. :_)

What's the magnitude of the supernova? If that's the scope she used to (visually?) discover it, the magnitude couldn't be much fainter than 13, you think?

[LibFreeOrDie]

Caroline attends Warwick Valley High School, Warwick, NY.

When she heard that the youngest person to discover a supernova was 16 years old, she took it as a challenge to become the youngest one, starting her search when she was 13.

http://deer-pond-observatorie.wetpaint.com/page/The+story+about+SN2008ha

[HighWheeler]

Here is another shot of her set up. Go deep into this webpage, there is some very interesting info on her and how you could also do this.

[HighWheeler]

Go to this link, it is great reading about her accomplishment: http://deer-pond-observatorie.wetpaint.com/page/The+story+about+SN2008ha

[kalee]

ping

[SIDENET]

Oh, man.

I already found that thing last year.

[libstripper]

Go to this link, it is great reading about her accomplishment:

http://deer-pond-observatorie.wetpaint.com/page/The+story+about+SN2008ha

This link is so good and shows what really sophisticated gear she’s using, I’m posting it for everybody. Thanks ever so much.

[Tanniker Smith]

Can’t wait to catch this on APOD.

[AU72]

She looks pretty happy in that picture.

[calex59]

Well according to the picture of her scope it isn’t so tiny. A lot bigger than my 6 inch Dobsonian reflector.

[Boiling point]

I have a 1966 Super Sport Nova in my barn, does that make me special?

[count-your-change]

Amateurs have done pretty well over the last few years at discovering comets so there must be quite a few eyes on the sky at night.

And good telescopes are more readily available than when Galileo and I watched the sky.

[metmom]

What amazes me is that she knew it was a supernova and not just another star that happened to be in the same line of sight with the galaxy.

[metmom]

I’m sure there will be colleges knocking at her door.

[metmom]

You’d think. I know it works that way for comets.

I’ll bet she finds the next one as well.

[Star Traveler]

It’s nice to see a teenager doing something constructive like that (although maybe her parents say, “Are you still out there staring at the sky?!”... LOL...

[Professional Engineer]

Cool, but how does this happen? How do the pros miss something that a young girl can find on a tiny little home telescope?

Shoemaker-Levy
Hale-Bopp

Lots of good stuff for amateur astronomers to see.

[Costumed Vigilante]

Nobel Prize if, and only if, she states that solar radiation has no effect on planetary climate...