High-magnification deep optical view into SNF20061022-005's host environment. Pan and scroll to explore the cosmic neighborhood where this star exploded.
⚡ Quick Observer Facts & Telemetry
IAU Transients DBAn Unclassified Astronomical Transient
On 2006/10/22, astronomers scanning the heavens flagged a sudden, violent pinpoint of light that had flared into visibility. Designated SNF20061022-005, it is an unclassified astronomical transient whose physical nature is not yet established.
SNF20061022-005 was reported as a changing source, 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.
A Message Across Deep Cosmic Time
SNF20061022-005 has a luminosity distance of approximately 1.21 Billion Light-Years
(redshift z = 0.07897).
That figure is not the light-travel time: under flat ΛCDM the lookback time is ≈1043 Myr, when the light set out 1042.8 million years ago in deep Precambrian time, well before multicellular animals dominated Earth.
Luminosity distance incorporates cosmic expansion and exceeds the light-travel distance. The two quantities must be reported separately.
Brightness Record
No calibrated peak magnitude is published for SNF20061022-005, so neither its apparent brightness nor an equivalent solar luminosity can be stated.
The total energy release is unknown without a spectroscopic classification.
The Radioactive Furnace: Why Supernovae Glow for Months
Without a classification, the power source of SNF20061022-005 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.
Cosmic Kiln: Seeding the Elements of Life
Supernovae enrich galaxies with heavy elements. Events of SNF20061022-005'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 SNF20061022-005.
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.
Galactic Setting in Cetus
No host galaxy is identified for SNF20061022-005 in this catalog record
.
In our terrestrial sky, it resides in the constellation Cetus (The Sea Monster) at Right Ascension 00:40:38.033
and Declination -08:52:52.79.
The Scientific Surveillance Campaign
Following its discovery by an automated sky survey, observatories worldwide swung their lenses toward SNF20061022-005. In the Open Supernova Catalog, SNF20061022-005 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.
Stargazer's Field Guide: Can You See It Tonight?
Can I see it tonight? Unknown — no measured brightness.
Discovered 20.0 years ago (2006/10/22). No reliable current brightness estimate — no photometry has been published.
Planetary Safety Note: Even though SNF20061022-005 was a titanic explosion, our planet sits safely outside the lethal 50–100 light-year kill zone. At a distance of 1.21 Billion Light-Years, the blast poses zero physical hazard to Earth's biosphere.
Cataloged transients closest to SNF20061022-005 in discovery time, spatial sky neighborhood, and cosmological redshift:
❓ Frequently Asked Questions About SNF20061022-005
What type of supernova is SNF20061022-005 and what kind of star exploded? Astrophysics & Progenitor
What was the progenitor star doing in the millions of years leading up to SNF20061022-005? Astrophysics & Progenitor
How far away is SNF20061022-005 from Earth and how old is the light reaching us? Cosmic Distance & Time
What does the cosmological redshift of SNF20061022-005 tell us about the expansion of space? Cosmic Distance & Time
How bright did SNF20061022-005 become at its peak, and how many Suns does that equal? Explosion Energetics
How much total energy was released by SNF20061022-005, and where did that energy go? Explosion Energetics
How fast are the supernova ejecta and shockwave of SNF20061022-005 expanding through space? Explosion Energetics
What powers the prolonged glow of SNF20061022-005 weeks and months after detonation? Radioactive Engine
What chemical elements did SNF20061022-005 create and disperse into the universe? Nucleosynthesis & Elements
Did SNF20061022-005 leave behind a black hole, a neutron star, or nothing at all? Cosmic Remnant
What will SNF20061022-005's explosion site look like in 1,000 to 10,000 years? Cosmic Remnant
In which galaxy did SNF20061022-005 explode, and where is it located relative to the galactic center? Galactic Environment
Where is SNF20061022-005 located in the night sky and which constellation is it in? Sky Coordinates
How much Milky Way interstellar dust obscures our view of SNF20061022-005? Interstellar Dust
Across which photometric filter bands was SNF20061022-005 monitored? Astronomical Observations
What did astronomical spectroscopy reveal about SNF20061022-005's chemical makeup? Astronomical Observations
Who discovered SNF20061022-005 and how was it first detected? Discovery & History
How many scientific publications and observatories have contributed data to SNF20061022-005? Scientific Research
What other names and survey identifiers exist for SNF20061022-005? Cross-Identifications
2MASS J00403803-0852527. 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).