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Type — Supernova

The Story of Supernova SN1938C

An extraordinary stellar explosion that occurred 45.0 Million Light-Years away in deep space.

⏱️ ~6 min deep read 🔬 24 Astrophysical Q&As 🔭 Viewing Guide Included 🪐 Constellation Coma Berenices
🔭 Deep Field (~2.1′ FOV) · DSS2 Optical (China-VO mirror)
● SN1938C Explosion Site

High-magnification deep optical view into SN1938C's host environment. Pan and scroll to explore the cosmic neighborhood where this star exploded.

⚡ Quick Observer Facts & Telemetry

IAU Transients DB
🌐 Distance to Earth
45.0 Million Light-Years
Lookback Cosmic Time
✨ Peak Brightness
Mag 17.7
Large Observatory
☀️ Peak Radiance
13.6 million Suns
Combined Stellar Energy
🚀 Shock Velocity
~941 km/s
~0.3% Speed of Light
🌌 Host Galaxy
A131554+2526
Offset: 868.00″ (58.70 kpc)
🧭 Constellation
Coma Berenices
Berenice's Hair
💥 Explosion Physics
Type —
Core-Collapse Supergiant
📅 Discovered On
1938/05/01
Klein
CHAPTER I

An Unclassified Astronomical Transient

On 1938/05/01, astronomers scanning the heavens flagged a sudden, violent pinpoint of light that had flared into visibility. Designated SN1938C, it is an unclassified astronomical transient whose physical nature is not yet established.

SN1938C was reported as a changing source associated with A131554+2526, but it has not been spectroscopically classified. Without a spectrum, the progenitor cannot be identified: a thermonuclear white-dwarf detonation and a core-collapse of a massive star are mutually exclusive histories that produce different spectra and light curves. No progenitor, explosion mechanism, or remnant outcome is established for this object.

Astrophysical Mechanism Summary
Type: Unclassified (no spectrum) • Progenitor: Unknown • Velocity: ~941 km/s (~0.3% c)
CHAPTER II

A Message Across Deep Cosmic Time

SN1938C has a luminosity distance of approximately 45.0 Million Light-Years (redshift z = 0.0031). That figure is not the light-travel time: under flat ΛCDM the lookback time is ≈43 Myr, when the light set out 43.2 million years ago during the early Cenozoic era, following the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

Luminosity distance incorporates cosmic expansion and exceeds the light-travel distance. The two quantities must be reported separately.

CHAPTER III

Brightness Record

At the height of the outburst around 1938/04/30, SN1938C surged to a peak apparent magnitude of 17.7 and an intrinsic absolute magnitude of -13. At that instant, this single dying star radiated with the collective power of approximately 13.6 million Suns combined, outshining whole dwarf galaxies.

The total energy release is unknown without a spectroscopic classification.

CHAPTER IV

The Radioactive Furnace: Why Supernovae Glow for Months

Without a classification, the power source of SN1938C cannot be identified; radioactive ⁵⁶Ni decay powers many supernovae but is not established for this transient.

Nickel-56 decays to Cobalt-56 (half-life ≈6.1 days), then to stable Iron-56 (half-life ≈77.2 days), heating the ejecta from within. Typical class yields must not be quoted as measured values for this event.

CHAPTER V

Cosmic Kiln: Seeding the Elements of Life

Supernovae enrich galaxies with heavy elements. Events of SN1938C's class are associated with oxygen-group and intermediate-mass products (O, C, Ne, Mg, Si) in galactic chemical-evolution models. No measured elemental yields are published for SN1938C.

As Carl Sagan observed, "We are made of star-stuff" — a statement about nucleosynthesis in general, not a claim that atoms from this specific remnant are identified in the Solar System.

CHAPTER VI

Galactic Setting in Coma Berenices

SN1938C is associated with cataloged host A131554+2526 , at an offset of 868.00″ (58.70 kpc) from the reported galactic center. In our terrestrial sky, it resides in the constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair) at Right Ascension 13:16:13.7 and Declination +25:39:51.

CHAPTER VII

The Scientific Surveillance Campaign

Following its discovery by Klein, observatories worldwide swung their lenses toward SN1938C. In the Open Supernova Catalog, SN1938C is documented across 0 photometric measurements and 0 spectroscopic epochs. These multi-wavelength observations allow astrophysicists to model the expanding photosphere, measure shock velocities, and probe circumstellar interactions.

CHAPTER VIII

Stargazer's Field Guide: Can You See It Tonight?

Can I see it tonight? Unknown — no measured brightness.

Discovered 88.5 years ago (1938/05/01). No reliable current brightness estimate — no photometry has been published.

Planetary Safety Note: Even though SN1938C was a titanic explosion, our planet sits safely outside the lethal 50–100 light-year kill zone. At a distance of 45.0 Million Light-Years, the blast poses zero physical hazard to Earth's biosphere.

🌌 Cosmic Neighbors & Contemporaries 105,768+ transients indexed

Cataloged transients closest to SN1938C in discovery time, spatial sky neighborhood, and cosmological redshift:

⏱️ Closest in Time
SN1937D 234d before
Type Ia 1937/09/09 · Mag 10.5
SN1937C 258d before
Type Ia 1937/08/16 · Mag 8.4
SN1939C +442d after
Type I 1939/07/17 · Mag 13.1
🔭 Closest on the Sky
AT2022dcs 25.6′ away
Type Candidate Discovered 2022/02/23
AT2022dqh 31.0′ away
Type Candidate Discovered 2022/02/23
AT2019lvq 32.2′ away
Type Candidate Discovered 2019/07/27
🌌 Same Cosmic Era (Redshift)
SN1999ev z = 0.0031
Type II ~42.5 Mly (approx.)
SN2001ig z = 0.0031
Type IIb ~42.5 Mly (approx.)
SN2011jm z = 0.0031
Type Ic ~42.5 Mly (approx.)

❓ Frequently Asked Questions About SN1938C

Scientific & observational Q&As indexed from astronomical databases & the Open Supernova Catalog
🔍 24 of 24
What type of supernova is SN1938C and what kind of star exploded? Astrophysics & Progenitor
SN1938C has not been spectroscopically classified. It was reported as an astronomical transient, which means an object was detected changing in brightness, but its nature is not yet established. Classification requires a spectrum: the presence or absence of hydrogen lines separates Type II from Type I, and Type Ia is identified by silicon absorption near 6150 Å combined with the absence of hydrogen. Until such a spectrum is published, claims about the progenitor star or explosion mechanism would be speculation. Check the sources below for follow-up spectroscopy.
What was the progenitor star doing in the millions of years leading up to SN1938C? Astrophysics & Progenitor
The progenitor of SN1938C cannot be identified without a classification. Stellar evolutionary history depends entirely on the explosion type: a Type Ia event would require a carbon-oxygen white dwarf in a binary system, whereas a core-collapse event would require a massive star exhausting its fuel within tens of millions of years. These are mutually exclusive histories that produce different spectra and light curves. No progenitor or precursor has been reported for this transient in the available literature.
How far away is SN1938C from Earth and how old is the light reaching us? Cosmic Distance & Time
SN1938C has a luminosity distance of approximately 45.0 Million Light-Years (redshift z = 0.0031, d_L = 13.8). Under a flat ΛCDM cosmology (H₀≈70 km/s/Mpc, Ωₘ≈0.3), the corresponding lookback time is ≈43 Myr — when the light set out 43.2 million years ago during the early Cenozoic era, following the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. Luminosity distance is larger than the light-travel distance because cosmic expansion stretches the path; the two must not be equated.
What does the cosmological redshift of SN1938C tell us about the expansion of space? Cosmic Distance & Time
SN1938C exhibits a measured spectroscopic redshift of z = 0.0031. The cockpit reports a user-facing recession velocity of 927.9 km/s, computed as the redshift Doppler-equivalent v = c·((1+z)²−1)/((1+z)²+1). Cosmological redshift is not generally equivalent to special-relativistic motion through space; this number is a convenient velocity label for z, not a measured peculiar velocity and not supernova ejecta speed. Bare c·z (≈929 km/s) is a different low-z approximation and is not mixed here.
How bright did SN1938C become at its peak, and how many Suns does that equal? Explosion Energetics
At peak brightness, SN1938C achieved an apparent magnitude of 17.7 around 1938/04/30. Corrected for cosmic distance and foreground interstellar dust, its intrinsic absolute magnitude was -13. At this peak, the exploding star radiated with the incandescent brilliance of approximately 13.6 million Suns combined, briefly outshining the cumulative starlight of entire dwarf galaxies!
How much total energy was released by SN1938C, and where did that energy go? Explosion Energetics
The total energy released by SN1938C is unknown. Energy budgets differ by orders of magnitude depending on mechanism: a thermonuclear Type Ia liberates ~10⁵¹ ergs mostly as kinetic energy, while a core-collapse event liberates ~10⁵³ ergs of which ~99% escapes as neutrinos. Without a spectroscopic classification, neither figure applies to this transient.
How fast are the supernova ejecta and shockwave of SN1938C expanding through space? Explosion Energetics
Spectroscopic line blueshifts imply an ejecta velocity of approximately 941 km/s (~0.3% of c) for SN1938C. This is distinct from cosmological recession velocity inferred from redshift.
What powers the prolonged glow of SN1938C weeks and months after detonation? Radioactive Engine
The power source sustaining SN1938C cannot be identified without a classification. Classified supernovae are typically powered after peak by the radioactive decay of ⁵⁶Ni → ⁵⁶Co → ⁵⁶Fe, but nickel yields and whether a shock-breakout flash occurred depend on the explosion mechanism. No spectrum is published for this transient, so no ⁵⁶Ni mass or decay-powered light-curve narrative applies.
What chemical elements did SN1938C create and disperse into the universe? Nucleosynthesis & Elements
The nucleosynthetic products of SN1938C are unknown because its type is unresolved. Element yields depend directly on the explosion mechanism: a thermonuclear Type Ia produces mostly iron-peak elements such as 56Ni and 56Fe, whereas a core-collapse event produces large quantities of oxygen, neon, magnesium and silicon from successive burning shells. No spectrum has been published for this transient, so which of these occurred is not established.
Did SN1938C leave behind a black hole, a neutron star, or nothing at all? Cosmic Remnant
Whether SN1938C left a remnant is unknown. A thermonuclear Type Ia leaves no compact remnant (the white dwarf is fully disrupted), whereas a core-collapse event leaves a neutron star or black hole depending on progenitor mass. Without a spectroscopic classification, none of these outcomes can be asserted for this transient.
What will SN1938C's explosion site look like in 1,000 to 10,000 years? Cosmic Remnant
Supernova remnants in general evolve through free-expansion, Sedov–Taylor, and radiative phases over centuries to millennia, sometimes becoming bright X-ray shells and occasionally compressing nearby molecular clouds. These are standard remnant-evolution models, not forecasts measured for SN1938C. Whether this site will trigger star formation, reach particular X-ray temperatures, or match Cassiopeia A depends on local density and magnetic field—none of which are constrained by the data shown here.
In which galaxy did SN1938C explode, and where is it located relative to the galactic center? Galactic Environment
SN1938C is associated with cataloged host A131554+2526 at an angular/physical offset of 868.00″ (58.70 kpc) from the reported galactic center. That offset places the transient in the host's projected light distribution; it does not by itself prove which stellar population produced the progenitor.
Where is SN1938C located in the night sky and which constellation is it in? Sky Coordinates
In the celestial sphere, SN1938C is located at Right Ascension 13:16:13.7 and Declination +25:39:51, situated in the constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair). Because its declination is +25:39:51, it is primarily placed in the Northern celestial hemisphere.
How much Milky Way interstellar dust obscures our view of SN1938C? Interstellar Dust
Along this line of sight, the catalog records a Milky Way foreground color excess of E(B−V) = 0.0110 mag (source: published extinction estimate), corresponding to roughly A_V ≈ 0.03 mag for R_V = 3.1. Band-specific corrections (e.g. A_r) differ from A_V and should be applied when available. Map-based values (IRSA / Schlafly & Finkbeiner 2011) must not be claimed unless that map was actually queried.
Across which photometric filter bands was SN1938C monitored? Astronomical Observations
No calibrated photometry is published for SN1938C. Without multi-epoch flux measurements, neither a light curve nor a peak magnitude can be established. Follow-up imaging from survey alert streams would be required to map its brightness evolution.
What did astronomical spectroscopy reveal about SN1938C's chemical makeup? Astronomical Observations
No spectrum has been published for SN1938C. Without spectroscopy, its chemical composition, expansion velocity, and physical classification cannot be established. Classification spectra from follow-up observatories would be required to identify diagnostic absorption and emission lines.
Who discovered SN1938C and how was it first detected? Discovery & History
SN1938C was officially reported on 1938/05/01 by Klein. Discoveries are typically flagged by high-cadence robotic survey telescopes (such as ATLAS, ZTF, Pan-STARRS, ASAS-SN, or Gaia) and worldwide amateur astronomers scanning the night sky, followed by rapid spectroscopic classification by international observatories.
How many scientific publications and observatories have contributed data to SN1938C? Scientific Research
Data for SN1938C are compiled from international astronomical notices, the IAU Transient Name Server (TNS), and peer-reviewed astrophysical journals.
What other names and survey identifiers exist for SN1938C? Cross-Identifications
Throughout global alert streams and survey databases, SN1938C has also been designated as: b"SN 1938C, Miss Klein's Supernova". These cross-matched identifiers allow astronomers to cross-reference observations across the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), Pan-STARRS, Gaia Photometric Science Alerts, and the IAU Transient Name Server (TNS).
How does SN1938C contribute to measuring the Hubble Constant and the scale of the cosmos? Cosmology & Distance Ladder
SN1938C cannot currently be used for cosmological distance work because its classification is unresolved. The distance ladder relies on type-specific techniques: Type Ia supernovae use the Phillips relation between peak absolute magnitude and decline rate, while Type II events use the Expanding Photosphere Method or SCM-II. An unclassified transient fits neither, so no Hubble-constant constraint can be derived from it until a spectrum establishes its type.
Could gravitational waves or neutrinos from SN1938C be detected on Earth? Multi-Messenger Astronomy
No neutrino or gravitational-wave counterpart has been reported for SN1938C, and none is expected to be identifiable without a classification. The multi-messenger signature differs sharply by type: core-collapse events emit a neutrino burst at shock breakout (detected once, for SN 1987A), while thermonuclear Type Ia events produce negligible neutrinos and gravitational waves. Searching for a counterpart before knowing which mechanism applies would be unfocused.
How does SN1938C compare to famous historical supernovae like SN 1987A or the Crab Supernova? Historical Comparison
Compared to historical landmarks like SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud (168,000 light-years away, naked-eye peak m = 2.9) or the Crab Supernova of 1054 (6,500 light-years away), the distance to SN1938C is not established for a historical comparison (unclassified; redshift z = 0.0031 is published but no luminosity distance is derived). While historical naked-eye supernovae occurred within our Milky Way or its immediate satellites, modern discoveries like SN1938C allow astrophysicists to probe diverse galactic environments, metallicities, and stellar populations across the broader universe.
Can I see SN1938C tonight with a backyard telescope or binoculars? Backyard Observation
Unknown — no measured brightness. SN1938C was discovered 32330 days ago (1938/05/01), but no calibrated photometry is published for it, so its current apparent magnitude cannot be stated. Without a magnitude there is no basis for a telescope-aperture recommendation. Use the coordinates and airmass chart above to plan a follow-up observation and report what you measure.
Does the radiation or shockwave from SN1938C pose any threat to Earth? Planetary Safety
No, Earth is in zero danger. Supernovae are violent events emitting powerful gamma rays, X-rays, and cosmic rays; however, the astrophysical 'lethal kill zone' for our planet's protective ozone layer is estimated at 50 to 100 light-years. At a distance of 45.0 Million Light-Years, the inverse-square law dilutes the radiation by quintillions of times, making SN1938C completely harmless to our biosphere and purely a fascinating spectacle for human exploration.
Data sourced from IAU TNS, ALeRCE, WISeREP, and the Open Supernova Catalog. View All General Astrophysics FAQs →
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