Supernova Detection

Every once in a while, a star goes out with a bang — literally. When a massive star runs out of fuel or a white dwarf gets larger than a critical mass, it can collapse and explode in a brilliant explosion called a supernova. For a short time, that single star might even outshine its host galaxy.

Supernovae are important in astronomy and astrophysics — they create many of the elements that make up planets (and people!) and certain kinds of supernovae help scientists measure distances across the Universe.

But supernovae happen suddenly, and they fade over weeks or months. Catching one is a bit like trying to photograph a single firework in a sky full of stars — you have to be looking in the right place at exactly the right time. That’s why Rubin Observatory is a game-changer for studying them. By scanning the entire southern sky every few nights, Rubin is ready to spot these cosmic fireworks quickly.

Over its 10-year survey, Rubin is expected to find about 10 million supernovae! Studying the light from these stellar explosions will give scientists a brand new window into the lives of stars, and how they help shape the Universe.

Explore more:

• Learn more about how Rubin will detect supernovae in this slide show, and in this science preview news release

• Take a SkyViewer tour of the supernovae Rubin detected during its First Look observations

• Meet a scientist using Rubin data to study supernovae: Anais Möller

• Teachers: check out Rubin’s Exploding Stars classroom investigation, available from our Education resources web page