SN 2011fe

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

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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-2011fe

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. What is the event classification?Type Ia supernova
2. What is the observational epoch?First detected August 24, 2011
3. Where did SN 2011fe happen?It was found on August 24, 2011, by astronomers looking at the Pinwheel Galaxy. The explosion was the brightest supernova seen in that galaxy and one of the nearest in many years.
4. Why was SN 2011fe special?The supernova was special because it was a very clean Type Ia explosion and it brightened very quickly. It also showed hydrogen in its early light, which is unusual for this kind of supernova.

Spectroscopy: The study of how light interacts with matter to reveal its composition and properties.
Photometry: The measurement of the intensity or brightness of light from celestial objects.
Nucleosynthesis: The process by which new atomic nuclei are created in stars and supernovae.
Standard Candle: An astronomical object with a known intrinsic brightness, used to measure cosmic distances.