SN 2006jc

Supernova
name = SN 2006jc


caption=
epoch = J2000.0
type = Ib/c pec
SNRtype = unknown
host = UGC 4904
constellation =
ra = RA|9|17|20.81cite web
url =http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nph-objsearch?objname=sn+2006jc&extend=no&out_csys=Equatorial&out_equinox=J2000.0&obj_sort=RA+or+Longitude&of=pre_text&zv_breaker=30000.0&list_limit=5&img_stamp=YES
title =SN 2006JC - NED Search Result
publisher =NASA/IPAC EXTRAGALACTIC DATABASE - Caltech
accessdate = 2008-06-24 ]
dec=DEC|+41|54|33
gal = unknown
discovery =
iauc =
mag_v = <13.8
distance =
progenitor =
progenitor_type =
b-v =

Outburst

SN 2006jc is a star which went hypernova on October 9, 2006 in the Galaxy UGC 4904. Two years earlier, it underwent a "false supernova", a high energy outburst that did not lead to stellar collapse.

Rarity

These stars are extremely rare, there are probably only several dozen stars like this in a galaxy the size of The Milky Way. This means that 24 to 120 stars out of 2 hundred billion other stars are super luminous hyper giants like SN 2006jc.

Life

These stars live for only 3 to 5 million years because of their mass and extreme luminosity. These type of stars can give off 1 to 6 million times the suns luminosity.

SN 2006jc probably was once a Class O Star that was very bright and luminous. After 2 million years it became a bright giant, and then after 500,000 years it had an outburst; then the star was unstable for two years until its final outburst as a hypernova.

This star was detected with X rays in 2006 when it had its outburst. It was a Wolf-Rayet star at the point when SN 2006jc was very unstable.

See also

*Eta Carinae
*Stellar classification
*Pistol star
*Wolf-Rayet
*Stellar evolution

References