Who else saw the supernova event tonight? mar. 25 2012

[Pi2plank]

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i was walking on my way home when i saw a very bright star, but at first i doubted that it was a star, so i stopped.. i welcomed the possibilities that it might be an airplane, but it wasn't moving like an airplane & it could'nt also have been a flare from a rocket launch because then its movement would be different.. so i stopped to be sure if it wasn't moving & i checked its position relative w/ the stars & i thought well its a star.. but by then i also entertained the thought that it could be venus, the brightest object in the night sky after the moon of course, but i said to myself, i almost see venus everyday & it is not that bright as what i'm seeing now.. so i decided to look for a reference & i saw the constellation orion, w/c was about 2-3 inches away from my perspective of the bright light, now the brightest star of the constellation orion was pale in comparison w/ this light i'm seeing.. by then i came to my own conclusion that this bright light was brighter than orion's brightest star & venus & i said to myself OMG THIS MUST BE A SUPERNOVA EVENT & i hope someone should have recorded this.. now this happened around 7:44 - 7:49 pm sunday time here in the phil. i only got to watched it around 30 seconds, & then the light began to fade.. at first i thought it faded because some thin clouds covered it but it seemed that it just kinda faded by itself.. when i arrived at our doorstep the light wasn't there

that 30 seconds of seeing the supernova was one of the most amazing feelings i've ever had.. it was kinda like seeing the same guiding star saw by the three wise men (pardon the comparison but some scientists did offer the idea that the star of bethlehem was actually a supernova event, though it would have been a very huge supernova event for the star to maintain that bright light for days), i've seen meteors, satellites in orbit just by the naked eye (artificial satellites can be seen in a moonless night & on places w/ less light pollution like in provinces away from cities & huge towns, they look like moving stars) & NOW i have seen a supernova event!
the best things in life are free!

btw, how did i confirm it was a supernova event? i checked Space and NASA News
yes they have a story that a supernova was detected in galaxy M95

[rodsky]

I saw it too! I can't believe it was really a supernova. I was able to take a photo of the moon, Venus and Jupiter at the time. The great thing was, my co-worker Mark was beside me and saw it too!

However, I hope you were more precise with your report because:

a) That NASA report states that the supernova was detected on March 20, 2012, not March 25. Also, M95 is in the Constellation Leo...which is quite far from Constellation Orion.

b) Mark and I saw it a few degrees below the crescent moon.

c) It didn't outshine Venus, but it was equal to Jupiter's brightness.

-RODION

[handsoff241]

I saw that shinny thing, never thought it was something with a name.

MP5Navy is around the constellation Leo
Mark is special

[rodsky]

MP5Navy is around the constellation Leo

The MP5N is a submachine gun made by Heckler and Koch (H&K) and has nothing to do with constellations or astronomy.

Mark is special

And so are all my other co-workers who were with me at the time, assisting me in taking my shots--they are my crew in our astronomy tours around schools in the Gen San / South Cotabato areas.
Topmost is Venus, then Jupiter, then finally the crescent moon at the bottom.


The flash occurred around 4 degrees (subtended angle) below the crescent moon. There were six of us watching this scene, but it was only Mark and I who saw the bright flash. Others thought they saw the flash too, but weren't able to confirm it, nor the position.

-RODION

[jiro]

is it viewable with the naked eye

i checked space.com and it says this


so here's the super nova thing before and after in close up

bright new star(?) in the upper right of the galaxy.

[rodsky]

bright new star(?) in the upper right of the galaxy.

We have to wade into several layers of explanation to make this whole thing understandable to the readers of this thread, but here are the facts:

a) Yes, there was a supernova detected and confirmed by accredited observatories around the world, but it was detected on March 20, NOT March 25.

b) That supernova (detected in March 20) occurred in galaxy M95, which is in the constellation Leo, whereas, the person who started this thread said that the supposed supernova he saw was "close" or "near" Constellation Orion. Now, the supernova-suspect that we in turn, saw, was situated in the constellation Aries, specifically near the star Iota Arietis. So it appears there are three distinctly different observations here, the CONFIRMED one (by NASA and other space agencies), the one that the TS saw, and the one that we saw.

c) The TS still has to verify EXACTLY where he saw the bright flash, because until he can come up with an accurate answer, we can only treat his observation as a third object in a list of possibly (only) two supernova events. This is why sometimes, even a very basic knowledge of locations of common/visible stars and constellations can be useful, if only to cross-check with other sources, on possible significant events that are observed in the evening sky.

And as to the "before" and "after" shots taken above, yes, the bright "new star" (hence the misnomer, "nova" which means "new") is actually the exploding star in M95.

-RODION

[lady_c]

so lucky you are

[handsoff241]

Ah mao jud na nga siga rods, akong nakit-an pero dalikyat ra jud kaayo. Nahimout kung maghuna-huna nga mao diay na siya'y gitawag ug Supernova. Wala ba nay epekto natong mga kalibutanon?

[brackitz]

grabeha nila...sila raman giramdaman sa supernova nga magpakita.

sauna, probensya pako hilig jud ko hangad2x sa kalangita panahon
sa kagabhion pero wa man jud ko kita anang mga ing-ana gawas
lang sa mga star formations, moon, ug shootings stars!

[rodsky]

Ah mao jud na nga siga rods, akong nakit-an pero dalikyat ra jud kaayo. Nahimout kung maghuna-huna nga mao diay na siya'y gitawag ug Supernova. Wala ba nay epekto natong mga kalibutanon?

If you cannot state which specific part of the sky nahitabo ang imong nakit-ang dalikyat nga kahayag, then we shall never be able to confirm if its the same one observed by pi2plank or katong among nakit-an.

-RODION