SN 2004dj

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sn-2004dj

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is SN 2004dj?Greater than 8-10 solar masses
2. What is SN 2004dj known for?Detailed study of core-collapse physics and nucleosynthesis in a relatively nearby event
3. What is the supernova classification?Type II-P
4. What is the host galaxy?NGC 253 (Sculptor Galaxy)
5. Why did the star explode?The star’s core became iron, which can’t fuse, so it collapsed and a shock wave blasted the outer layers, causing the explosion.
6. Where did the explosion happen?It happened in the spiral galaxy NGC 253, also known as the Sculptor Galaxy, about 11 million light‑years from Earth.

Type II-P Supernova: A core-collapse supernova from a massive star that retains a hydrogen envelope, exhibiting a plateau in its light curve.
Interstellar Medium: The matter and radiation that exist in the space between the star systems of a galaxy.