The Explosive Experience: A Feature in Elements of Science Magazine by Kennedy College of Sciences

A supernova, which occurred 21 million lightyears away in the Pinwheel Galaxy, was discovered by Japanese astronomer Koichi Itagaki in May 2023. This rare phenomenon, caused by the collapse of a star with a mass at least eight times larger than the Earth’s sun, led scientists from around the world on a mission to better understand its nature.

Three UMass Lowell undergraduates, Jacob Medin, Ian Davis, and Jordan Orenberg, funded by the Kennedy College of Sciences’ Science Discoveries program, dedicated their summer to studying the supernova. Under the guidance of Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock and Physics Ph.D. student Sayantan Bhattacharya ’21, the students learned to operate the UMass Lowell Schueller Observatory and captured images of the supernova using its powerful telescope.

Additionally, they collaborated with the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston to obtain more images of the supernova, which they then analyzed using AstroImageJ software. Over the course of three months, they tracked the supernova’s magnitude by observing its changing brightness and temperature. The data collected by the students is now publicly available through the American Association of Variable Star Observers, allowing astronomers worldwide to access and study it.

Jordan Orenberg expressed his excitement about contributing to the understanding of supernovas and sharing their data with the scientific community. Through their dedication and hard work, these aspiring scientists have made valuable contributions to the field of astronomy and furthered our knowledge of these fascinating cosmic events.