SCP 06F6

SCP 06F6 is (or was) an astronomical object of unknown type, discovered using data from the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide Field Channel. The object was discovered on 21 February, 2006 in the constellation Boötes, [http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14738-space-firefly-resembles-no-known-object.html Space 'firefly' resembles no known object] , "New Scientist News", 16 September 2008] during a survey of galaxy cluster CL 1432.5+3332.8.Barbary "et al.": [http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.1648v1 Discovery of an Unusual Optical Transient with the Hubble Space Telescope] ; accepted September 8, 2008, for later publication in the Astrophysical Journal]

According to research authored by Kyle Barbary of the Supernova Cosmology Project, the object brightened over a period of roughly 100 days, reaching a peak intensity of magnitude 21; it then faded over a similar period.

Barbary "et al." report that the spectrum of light emitted from the object does not match known supernova types, and is dissimilar to any known phenomena in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database. Furthermore, no Milky Way star or external galaxy has been detected at this location, meaning any source is very faint. Supernovae reach their maximum brightness in only 20 days, and then take much longer to fade away.

An analysis by a team from the University of Warwick (Boris Gänsicke "et al.") suggests that the light spectrum is "consistent with emission from a cool, carbon-rich atmosphere at a redshift of z~0.14", possibly representing "the explosion of a carbon star". Gänsicke's group concurs with Barbary "et al." that SCP 06F6 may represent "a new class" of celestial object.

The European X-ray satellite XMM Newton made an observation in early August 2006 which appears to show an X-ray glow around SCP 06F6, [http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080919/full/news.2008.1122.html How they wonder what you are] , "Nature News", 19 September 2008] two orders of magnitude more luminous than that of supernovae.Gänsicke "et al.": [http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.2562 SCP06F6: A carbon-rich extragalactic transient at redshift z~0.14] . Preprint, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://space.newscientist.com/channel/astronomy/dn9360-enigmatic-object-baffles-supernova-team.html New Scientist's article from June 2006 when the object was first observed]
* [http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14738-space-firefly-resembles-no-known-object.html New Scientist's article from September 2008]