SN 2021afdx
Image of the host Cartwheel Galaxy | |
| Event type | Supernova |
|---|---|
| Type IIb | |
| Date | Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System |
| Instrument | 23 November 2021 |
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Right ascension | 00h 37m 41.1368s |
| Declination | −33° 42′ 58.712″ |
| Epoch | J2000 |
| Distance | 500 Mly |
| Host | Cartwheel Galaxy |
| Progenitor type | Yellow Supergiant[1] |
SN 2021afdx is a Type IIb supernova that exploded in the Cartwheel Galaxy, a ring galaxy located approximately 500 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. Discovered on 23 November 2021 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), it is one of the few supernovae observed in detail with both ground-based telescopes and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The event is notable for revealing an infrared echo from pre-existing circumstellar dust, providing key insights into dust production and heating mechanisms in core-collapse supernovae.[2][1][3][4][5]
Observation
SN 2021afdx was later observed by JWST during its Early Release Observations of the Cartwheel Galaxy in approximately 200 days post-explosion. [5][6]
Follow-up spectroscopy conducted by the extended Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey for Transient Objects (ePESSTO+) using the FLOYDS spectrograph at the Las Cumbres Observatory confirmed its classification as a Type IIb supernova.[7]
References
- ^ a b "VizieR J/ApJ/942/L18". cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
- ^ "Bright Supernovae - 2021". www.rochesterastronomy.org. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
- ^ "The Stellar Circle of Life". Telescope Live. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
- ^ "2021afdx | Transient Name Server". www.wis-tns.org. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
- ^ a b Hosseinzadeh, Griffin; Sand, David J.; Jencson, Jacob E.; Andrews, Jennifer E.; Shivaei, Irene; Bostroem, K. Azalee; Valenti, Stefano; Szalai, Tamás; Burke, Jamison; Howell, D. Andrew; McCully, Curtis; Newsome, Megan; Gonzalez, Estefania Padilla; Pellegrino, Craig; Terreran, Giacomo (2023-01-01). "JWST Imaging of the Cartwheel Galaxy Reveals Dust Associated with SN 2021afdx". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 942 (1): L18. arXiv:2210.06499. Bibcode:2023ApJ...942L..18H. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aca64e. ISSN 2041-8205.
- ^ Engesser, M.; Smith, K.; Chen, T.; Smartt, S.; Pierel, J.; Gomez, S.; Coelln, S. V.; Temim, T.; Fox, O.; Rest, A.; Strolger, L.; Goel, A.; Gezari, S.; Angulo, R.; Dalrymple, K. (August 2022). "Detection of SN 2021afdx in JWST images of the Cartwheel Galaxy". Transient Name Server AstroNote. 155: 1. Bibcode:2022TNSAN.155....1E.
- ^ Lazaro, Enrico de (2022-03-07). "Astronomers Spot Type II Supernova in Cartwheel Galaxy | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. Retrieved 2025-11-30.