SN 1998S
Supernova in the constellation Ursa Major
SN 1998S was a Type IIn supernova that was detected in NGC 3877 in March 1998. At the time of discovery, SN 1998S was the brightest Type IIn event observed, although later outshone by SN 2010jl.
It was discovered on 1998 March 2.68 UT in NGC 3877 by Z. Wan at a broadband (unfiltered) optical magnitude of +15.2.
Its spectrum showed prominent H and He emission lines with narrow peaks and broad wings, superimposed on a blue continuum. These narrow lines indicate the presence of a dense circumstellar medium (CSM) in the vicinity of the supernova. The high luminosity of SN1998S is due to the interaction of fast material (ejecta) with previously-expelled slowly-expanding material (CSM), which can more effectively convert kinetic energy of ejecta into radiation energy.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “SN 1998S”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- SN1998S.jpg by Fassia, A.; Meikle, W. P. S.; Vacca, W. D.; Kemp, S. N.; Walton, N. A.; Pollacco, D. L.; Smartt, S.; Oscoz, A.; Aragón-Salamanca, A.; Bennett, S.; Hawarden, T. G.; Alonso, A.; Alcalde, D.; Pedrosa, A.; Telting, J.; Arevalo, M. J.; Deeg, H. J.; Garzón, F.; Gómez-Roldán, A.; Gómez, G.; Gutiérrez, C.; López, S.; Rozas, M.; Serra-Ricart, M.; Zapatero-Osorio, M. R., CC BY 4.0
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