Close-up: Supernova SN 2026ahvu | Galaxy NGC 1433 in Horologium

Close-up: Supernova SN 2026ahvu | Galaxy NGC 1433 in Horologium

Newly discovered supernova SN 2026ahvu is seen here in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 1433. The supernova appears as a very bright bluish point of light to the right and slightly below the center of the galaxy. This image was captured by the Gemini South telescope in Chile using its Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS). Gemini South is one half of the International Gemini Observatory, an international collaboration led by the National Science Foundation (NSF)], in partnership with Canada, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and the Republic of Korea, and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

Distance from Earth: 50 million light years

Caught early and still approaching its expected maximum brightness, SN 2026ahvu gives astronomers a valuable opportunity to study a stellar explosion as it unfolds. NSF NOIRLab is coordinating observations across the facilities it operates, working with its partners to maximize scientific return, and inviting other observatories to join the effort.

Gemini South Telescope in Chile:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-south/

Credit:
International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Acknowledgments: PI: S. Dahm (NSF NOIRLab/Gemini)
Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), D. de Martin & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Nov. 12, 2026

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