List of supernova candidates explained

This is a list of supernova candidates, or stars that are believed to soon become supernovae. Type II supernova progenitors include stars with at least 8~10 solar masses that are in the final stages of their evolution. Prominent examples of stars in this mass range include Antares, Spica, Gamma Velorum, Mu Cephei, and members of the Quintuplet Cluster. Type Ia supernova progenitors are white dwarf stars that are close to the Chandrasekhar limit of about 1.44 solar masses and are accreting matter from a binary companion star.

The list includes massive Wolf–Rayet stars, which may become Type Ib/Ic supernovae, particularly oxygen-sequence (Wolf-Rayet WO) stars. As of 2023, most of these candidates are in the Milky Way galaxy, however five oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet stars are also known in other galaxies.

IdentifierEpoch J2000ConstellationDistance(light years)SpectralclassEvolutionary stagePossible supernovatypeNotes
R. A.Dec.
IK PegasiPegasusA8m:/DAWhite dwarfIa
SpicaVirgo[1] B1Subgiant[2]
AcruxCruxB0.5 IVMain sequence (blue dwarf)II[3]
Alpha-2 CrucisCruxB1 VMain sequence (blue dwarf)II
Zeta OphiuchiOphiuchusO9.5VMain sequence (blue dwarf)
BetelgeuseOrion~400–500[4] M2IabRed supergiantIIP[5]
Alpha LupiLupusB1.5Blue giantII
AntaresScorpiusM1.5Iab-bRed supergiantIIP
Pi PuppisPuppisK3 IbRed supergiantII?[6]
S Monocerotis AMonocerosO7VMain sequence (blue dwarf)II
S Monocerotis BMonocerosO9.5VMain sequence (blue dwarf)II
RigelOrionB8IaBlue supergiantIIn(pec?)
Gamma2 VelorumVelaWC8Wolf–Rayet starIb/Ic
AlnitakOrionO9.5IabBlue supergiant[7]
119 TauriTaurusM2Iab-IbRed supergiantIIb
DenebCygnusA2laBlue supergiantIIL
T Coronae BorealisCorona BorealisM3III/DWhite dwarfIa[8]
KPD 1930+2752CygnussdB/DWhite dwarfIa[9] [10] [11]
Mu CepheiCepheus[12] M2IaRed hypergiantIIn/IIb[13]
Rho CassiopeiaeCassiopeiaG2Ia0eYellow hypergiantIIL[14]
VY Canis MajorisCanis Major[15] M5eIaRed hypergiantII[16]
IRAS 17163-3907Scorpiuslate B/early AYellow hypergiantII[17]
Wray 17-96ScorpiusB3Luminous blue variable
VV Cephei ACepheus4900[18] M2IabRed hypergiant
Mu SagittariiSagittarius5100[19] B8IapBlue supergiant[20]
P CygniCygnus[21] B1Ia+Luminous blue variableIIb[22]
HD 168625SagittariusB6IaLuminous blue variableII[23]
NML CygniCygnus[24] M6IRed hypergiantII[25]
IRC +10420AquilaF8Ia+Yellow hypergiantIIb[26] [27]
WR 142CygnusWO2Wolf–Rayet starIb/Ic
WR 136CygnusWN6(h)-sWolf–Rayet starIc
RS OphiuchiOphiuchusM2III/DWhite dwarfIa
Eta CarinaeCarinaLBV/OLuminous blue variableIb[28] [29]
WR 93bScorpiusWO3Wolf–Rayet starIb/Ic
WR 102SagittariusWO2Wolf–Rayet starIb/Ic
HD 179821AquilaG5IaYellow hypergiantIIL[30] [31]
T PyxidisPyxisWhite dwarfIa[32] [33]
WR 104SagittariusWC9d/OBWolf–Rayet starIb/Ic with Grb?[34] [35]
V445 PuppisPuppis[36] White dwarfIa[37]
WR 30aCarinaWO4/O5((f))Wolf–Rayet star
Sher 25CarinaB1.5IabBlue supergiant[38]
U ScorpiiScorpius[39] White dwarfIa[40]
LMC195-1DoradoWO2Wolf–Rayet starIb/Ic
S DoradusDoradoLBVLuminous blue variable[41]
SMC AB8HydrusWO4/O4Wolf–Rayet starIb/Ic

Notes and References

  1. van Leeuwen . F. . 2007 . Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction . Astronomy and Astrophysics . 474 . 2 . 653–664 . 0708.1752 . 2007A&A...474..653V . 10.1051/0004-6361:20078357 . 18759600. Vizier catalog entry
  2. See Table 4, p. 10.
  3. Web site: Acrux (Alpha Crucis) . 2020-11-20 . illinois.edu.
  4. Neuhäuser . Ralph . Torres . Guillermo . Mugrauer . Markus . Neuhäuser . Dagmar L. . Chapman . Jesse . Luge . Daniela . Cosci . Matteo . 2022-09-05 . Colour evolution of Betelgeuse and Antares over two millennia, derived from historical records, as a new constraint on mass and age . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 516 . 1 . 693–719 . 10.1093/mnras/stac1969 . free . 2207.04702 . 0035-8711.
  5. Smith . Nathan . Hinkle . Kenneth H. . Ryde . Nils . 2009-03-01 . Red Supergiants as Potential Type IIn Supernova Progenitors: Spatially Resolved 4.6 μm CO Emission Around VY CMa and Betelgeuse . The Astronomical Journal . 137 . 3 . 3558–3573 . 0811.3037 . 2009AJ....137.3558S . 10.1088/0004-6256/137/3/3558 . 0004-6256 . 19019913.
  6. Asakura . K. . Gando . A. . Gando . Y. . Hachiya . T. . Hayashida . S. . Ikeda . H. . Inoue . K. . Ishidoshiro . K. . Ishikawa . T. . Ishio . S. . Koga . M. . Matsuda . S. . Mitsui . T. . Motoki . D. . Nakamura . K. . February 2016 . KamLAND SENSITIVITY TO NEUTRINOS FROM PRE-SUPERNOVA STARS . The Astrophysical Journal . en . 818 . 1 . 91 . 10.3847/0004-637X/818/1/91 . free . 0004-637X. 1506.01175 . 2016ApJ...818...91A .
  7. Web site: Berman . Bob . 2023-04-10 . Alnitak: an exceptionally hot, blue star on Orion's Belt Astronomy.com . 2024-09-02 . Astronomy Magazine . en-US.
  8. Web site: 2008-12-19 . Recurrent Novae as a Progenitor System of Type Ia Supernovae. I. RS Ophiuchi Subclass: Systems with a Red Giant Companion - Abstract - The Astrophysical Journal - IOPscience . 2013-01-03 . Iopscience.iop.org.
  9. The Kitt Peak Downes star.
  10. Maxted . P. F. L. . Marsh . T. R. . North . R. C. . 2000-09-21 . KPD 1930+2752: a candidate Type Ia supernova progenitor . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . en . 317 . 3 . L41–L44 . astro-ph/0007257 . 2000MNRAS.317L..41M . 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03856.x . 0035-8711 . 11267384 . free.
  11. News: Kanipe . Jeff . 2000-08-05 . Skywatch—Watch This Space! . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090720074458/http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/skywatch_000805.html . 2009-07-20 . 2007-01-06 . space.com.
  12. Davies . Ben . Beasor . Emma R . 2020-01-20 . The 'red supergiant problem': the upper luminosity boundary of Type II supernova progenitors . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 493 . 1 . 468–476 . 10.1093/mnras/staa174 . free . 0035-8711. 2001.06020 .
  13. Web site: Lloyd . Robin . 2006-09-04 . Strange Space Pinwheels Spotted . 2007-01-08 . space.com.
  14. News: 2003-01-31 . The William Herschel telescope finds the best candidate for a supernova explosion . 2007-01-05 . Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council.
  15. Zhang . B. . Reid . M. J. . Menten . K. M. . Zheng . X. W. . January 2012 . Distance and Kinematics of the Red Hypergiant VY CMa: VLBA and VLA Astrometry . . 744 . 1 . 23 . 1109.3036 . 2012ApJ...744...23Z . 10.1088/0004-637X/744/1/23.
  16. Web site: Weaver . Donna . Humphreys . Roberta . 2007-01-08 . Astronomers Map a Hypergiant Star's Massive Outbursts . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070112234540/http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/03/full/ . 2007-01-12 . 2007-01-16 . HubbleSite NewsCenter.
  17. News: 2011-09-28 . 'Fried Egg' Nebula Cracks Open Rare Hypergiant Star . 2015-06-13 . Space.com.
  18. Bauer . Wendy Hagen . Gull . Theodore R. . Bennett . Philip D. . 2008-09-01 . Spatial Extension in the Ultraviolet Spectrum of Vv Cephei . The Astronomical Journal . 136 . 3 . 1312–1324 . 10.1088/0004-6256/136/3/1312 . 2008AJ....136.1312H . 0004-6256.
  19. Gaia Collaboration . Vallenari . A. . Brown . A. G. A. . Prusti . T. . de Bruijne . J. H. J. . Arenou . F. . Babusiaux . C. . Biermann . M. . Creevey . O. L. . Ducourant . C. . Evans . D. W. . Eyer . L. . Guerra . R. . Hutton . A. . Jordi . C. . June 2023 . Gaia Data Release 3: Summary of the content and survey properties . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 674 . A1 . 10.1051/0004-6361/202243940 . 2208.00211 . 2023A&A...674A...1G . 0004-6361.
  20. Web site: Polis . 2024-10-18 . stars.astro.illinois.edu.
  21. de Almeida . E S G . Hugbart . M . Domiciano de Souza . A . Rivet . J-P . Vakili . F . Siciak . A . Labeyrie . G . Garde . O . Matthews . N . Lai . O . Vernet . D . Kaiser . R . Guerin . W . 2022-06-15 . Combined spectroscopy and intensity interferometry to determine the distances of the blue supergiants P Cygni and Rigel . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 515 . 1 . 1–12 . 10.1093/mnras/stac1617 . free . 0035-8711. 2204.00372 .
  22. Groh . Jose H. . Meynet . Georges . Ekström . Sylvia . February 2013 . Massive star evolution: Luminous Blue Variables as unexpected Supernova progenitors . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 550 . L7 . 10.1051/0004-6361/201220741 . 1301.1519 . 2013A&A...550L...7G . 0004-6361.
  23. Smith . Nathan . March 2007 . Discovery of a Nearby Twin of SN 1987A's Nebula around the Luminous Blue Variable HD 168625: Was Sk -69 202 an LBV? . The Astronomical Journal . 133 . 3 . 1034–1040 . astro-ph/0611544 . 2007AJ....133.1034S . 10.1086/510838 . 17598600.
  24. Zhang . B. . Reid . M. J. . Menten . K. M. . Zheng . X. W. . Brunthaler . A. . 2012 . The distance and size of the red hypergiant NML Cygni from VLBA and VLA astrometry . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 544 . A42 . 1207.1850 . 2012A&A...544A..42Z . 10.1051/0004-6361/201219587 . 55509287.
  25. Monnier . J. D. . Millan-Gabet . R. . Tuthill . P. G. . Traub . W. A. . Carleton . N. P. . Coude Du Foresto . V. . Danchi . W. C. . Lacasse . M. G. . Morel . S. . Perrin . G. . Porro . I. L. . Schloerb . F. P. . Townes . C. H. . 2004 . High-Resolution Imaging of Dust Shells by Using Keck Aperture Masking and the IOTA Interferometer . The Astrophysical Journal . 605 . 1 . 436–461 . astro-ph/0401363 . 2004ApJ...605..436M . 10.1086/382218 . 7851916.
  26. Jones . Terry Jay . etal . July 1993 . IRC +10420 - A cool hypergiant near the top of the H-R diagram . The Astrophysical Journal . en . 411 . 1 . 323 . 1993ApJ...411..323J . 10.1086/172832 . 0004-637X.
  27. Web site: Than . Ker . 2004-10-04 . Astronomers Demonstrate a Global Internet Telescope . 2007-01-08 . University of Manchester.
  28. van Boekel . Roy . Schöller . Markus . Herbst . Tom . 2003-11-18 . Biggest Star in Our Galaxy Sits within a Rugby-Ball Shaped Cocoon . dead . European Southern Observatory Press Release . European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) . 31 . 2003eso..pres...36. . https://web.archive.org/web/20070103235026/http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2003/pr-31-03.html . 2007-01-03 . 2007-01-08.
  29. News: Milan . Wil . 2000-03-07 . Possible Hypernova Could Affect Earth . 2007-01-06 . space.com.
  30. Web site: Jura . M. . Velusamy . T. . Werner . M. W. . 2001-06-05 . What next for the Likely Pre-Supernova, HD 179821? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080708211729/http://www.aas.org/publications/baas/v33n2/aas198/66.htm . 2008-07-08 . 2007-01-08 . American Astronomical Society.
  31. Josselin . E. . Lèbre . A. . March 2001 . Probing the post-AGB nature of HD 179821: A new radio study of its circumstellar envelope . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 367 . 3 . 826–830 . 2001A&A...367..826J . 10.1051/0004-6361:20000496 . 0004-6361 . free.
  32. Schaefer . Bradley E. . Pagnotta . Ashley . Shara . Michael M. . 2010-01-01 . The Nova Shell and Evolution of the Recurrent Nova T Pyxidis . The Astrophysical Journal . 708 . 1 . 381–402 . 0906.0933 . 2010ApJ...708..381S . 10.1088/0004-637X/708/1/381 . 0004-637X . 18807684.
  33. News: Edwards . Lin . 2010 . Massive white dwarf in our galaxy may go supernova . 2010-02-26 . PhysOrg.
  34. Tuthill . Peter G. . etal . March 2008 . The Prototype Colliding-Wind Pinwheel WR 104 . The Astrophysical Journal . en . 675 . 1 . 698–710 . 0712.2111 . 2008ApJ...675..698T . 10.1086/527286 . 0004-637X . 119293391.
  35. Web site: Kaler . Jim . 1999-04-09 . WR 104: Pinwheel Star . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090414060438/http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/ap990409.html . 2009-04-14 . 2007-01-08 . Astronomy Picture of the Day.
  36. Kato . Mariko . Hachisu . Izumi . Kiyota . Seiichiro . Saio . Hideyuki . 2008-09-10 . Helium Nova on a Very Massive White Dwarf: A Revised Light-Curve Model of V445 Puppis (2000) . The Astrophysical Journal . en . 684 . 2 . 1366–1373 . 0805.2540 . 2008ApJ...684.1366K . 10.1086/590329 . 0004-637X . 18001230.
  37. Woudt . P. A. . etal . 2009-11-20 . The Expanding Bipolar Shell of the Helium Nova V445 Puppis . The Astrophysical Journal . 706 . 1 . 738–746 . 0910.1069 . 2009ApJ...706..738W . 10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/738 . 0004-637X . 85461691.
  38. Smartt . S. J. . Lennon . D. J. . Kudritzki . R. P. . Rosales . F. . Ryans . R. S. I. . Wright . N. . September 2002 . The evolutionary status of Sher 25 – implications for blue supergiants and the progenitor of SN 1987A . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 391 . 3 . 979–991 . astro-ph/0205242 . 2002A&A...391..979S . 10.1051/0004-6361:20020829 . 0004-6361 . 14933392.
  39. Schaefer . Bradley E. . 2018-09-01 . The distances to Novae as seen by Gaia . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 481 . 3 . 3033–3051 . 10.1093/mnras/sty2388 . free . 1809.00180 . en.
  40. Thoroughgood . T. D. . Dhillon . V. S. . Littlefair . S. P. . Marsh . T. R. . Smith . D. A. . 2001 . The Recurrent Nova U Scorpii - A Type Ia Supernova Progenitor . San Francisco, CA . Astronomical Society of the Pacific . 261 . astro-ph/0109553 . 2002ASPC..261...77T . The Physics of Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects.
  41. Kalari . V. M. . Vink . J. S. . Dufton . P. L. . Fraser . M. . 2018-10-01 . How common is LBV S Doradus variability at low metallicity? . Astronomy & Astrophysics . en . 618 . A17 . 10.1051/0004-6361/201833484 . 0004-6361. 1807.01309 . 2018A&A...618A..17K .

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