How often do stars explode as exceptionally bright supernovae?
Friday, July 12, 2013 - 09:00
in Astronomy & Space
It is not yet clear what gives rise to supernovae with a peak brightness many times the average, so-called superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), but since they are observable from further away than normal supernovae, a better understanding of these events might also make them a valuable additional 'standard candle' for distance measurements in the Universe. Using survey data from the ROTSE-IIIb telescope at the McDonald Observatory (Texas, US) that covered 500 square degrees of sky, a small team of international researchers – including CAASTRO member Dr Fang Yuan (ANU) – has now calculated the volumetric rate of SLSNe.