Supernova SN 2021aai in NGC 2268 galaxy: an image – 11 Feb. 2021

We observed supernova SN 2021aai in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 2268, as part of our supernova follow-up program: here it is our image.

Supernova SN 2021aai in NGC 2268 galaxy: 11 Feb. 2021.

Supernova SN 2021aai in NGC 2268 galaxy: 11 Feb. 2021.

The image above comes from the average of five, 120-seconds exposures, unfiltered, remotely taken with the “Elena” (PlaneWave 17″+Paramount ME+SBIG STL-6303E) robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project. The supernova is indicated by an arrow in the upper left inset. Note that the SN is the fainter source there, as on the left there is another star, just a few arc-seconds apart.

The host spiral galaxy is the barred spiral NGC 2268 and its distance is estimated to be around 100 millions of light years. In 1982 it hosted another supernova: SN 1982B. As for the supernova, we estimated SN 2021aai as bright as mag. 17.5 (unfiltered, R-mags for the reference stars from the Gaia DR2 star catalogue): please note this measurement is uncertain, as there is another source, apparently very close to the transient, making the photometry not straightforward. This supernova was discovered on 12 Jan. 2021 by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and it is a type II supernova.

Further observations will follow, weather permitting.

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