High-magnification deep optical view into SNhunt348'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 2018/02/10, astronomers scanning the heavens flagged a sudden, violent pinpoint of light that had flared into visibility. Designated SNhunt348, it is an unclassified astronomical transient whose physical nature is not yet established.
SNhunt348 was reported as a changing source associated with NGC 5277, 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
SNhunt348 has a luminosity distance of approximately 591.5 Million Light-Years
(redshift z = 0.039777).
That figure is not the light-travel time: under flat ΛCDM the lookback time is ≈540 Myr, when the light set out 540.0 million years ago during the Paleozoic era, long before the first dinosaurs appeared on Earth.
Luminosity distance incorporates cosmic expansion and exceeds the light-travel distance. The two quantities must be reported separately.
Brightness Record
At the height of the outburst around 2018/02/09, SNhunt348 surged to a peak apparent magnitude of 19.1 and an intrinsic absolute magnitude of -17.1501. At that instant, this single dying star radiated with the collective power of approximately 619.5 million Suns combined, outshining whole dwarf galaxies.
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 SNhunt348 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 SNhunt348'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 SNhunt348.
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 Boötes
SNhunt348 is associated with cataloged host NGC 5277
.
In our terrestrial sky, it resides in the constellation Boötes (The Herdsman) at Right Ascension 13:46:38.520
and Declination +29:56:56.76.
The Scientific Surveillance Campaign
Following its discovery by CRTS, observatories worldwide swung their lenses toward SNhunt348. In the Open Supernova Catalog, SNhunt348 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 8.7 years ago (2018/02/10). No reliable current brightness estimate — no photometry has been published.
Planetary Safety Note: Even though SNhunt348 was a titanic explosion, our planet sits safely outside the lethal 50–100 light-year kill zone. At a distance of 591.5 Million Light-Years, the blast poses zero physical hazard to Earth's biosphere.
Cataloged transients closest to SNhunt348 in discovery time, spatial sky neighborhood, and cosmological redshift:
❓ Frequently Asked Questions About SNhunt348
What type of supernova is SNhunt348 and what kind of star exploded? Astrophysics & Progenitor
What was the progenitor star doing in the millions of years leading up to SNhunt348? Astrophysics & Progenitor
How far away is SNhunt348 from Earth and how old is the light reaching us? Cosmic Distance & Time
What does the cosmological redshift of SNhunt348 tell us about the expansion of space? Cosmic Distance & Time
How bright did SNhunt348 become at its peak, and how many Suns does that equal? Explosion Energetics
How much total energy was released by SNhunt348, and where did that energy go? Explosion Energetics
How fast are the supernova ejecta and shockwave of SNhunt348 expanding through space? Explosion Energetics
What powers the prolonged glow of SNhunt348 weeks and months after detonation? Radioactive Engine
What chemical elements did SNhunt348 create and disperse into the universe? Nucleosynthesis & Elements
Did SNhunt348 leave behind a black hole, a neutron star, or nothing at all? Cosmic Remnant
What will SNhunt348's explosion site look like in 1,000 to 10,000 years? Cosmic Remnant
In which galaxy did SNhunt348 explode, and where is it located relative to the galactic center? Galactic Environment
Where is SNhunt348 located in the night sky and which constellation is it in? Sky Coordinates
How much Milky Way interstellar dust obscures our view of SNhunt348? Interstellar Dust
Across which photometric filter bands was SNhunt348 monitored? Astronomical Observations
What did astronomical spectroscopy reveal about SNhunt348's chemical makeup? Astronomical Observations
Who discovered SNhunt348 and how was it first detected? Discovery & History
How many scientific publications and observatories have contributed data to SNhunt348? Scientific Research
What other names and survey identifiers exist for SNhunt348? Cross-Identifications
AT2018th. 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).