List of supernovae


This is a list of supernovae that are of historical significance. These include supernovae that were observed prior to the availability of photography, and individual events that have been the subject of a scientific paper that contributed to supernova theory.
An alternative, complete and updated list can be found in the .

List

In most entries, the year when the supernova was seen is part of the designation.
Supernova
designation
ConstellationApparent
magnitude		Distance
TypeGalaxyComments
SN 185Centaurus−4 9,100Ia Milky WaySurviving description sketchy; modern estimates of maximum apparent magnitude vary from +4 to −8. The remnant is probably RCW 86, some 8200 ly distant, making it comparable to SN 1572. Some researchers have suggested it was a comet, not a supernova.
SN 386Sagittarius+1.514,700IIMilky WayThe candidate remnant is G11.2-0.3.
SN 393Scorpius–034,000 II/IbMilky Way
SN 1006Lupus–7.57,200IaMilky WayWidely observed on Earth; in apparent magnitude, the brightest stellar event in recorded history.
SN 1054Taurus–66,500IIMilky WayRemnant is the Crab Nebula with its pulsar
SN 1181Cassiopeia08,500 Milky Way
SN 1572Cassiopeia–4.08,000IaMilky WayTycho's Nova
SN 1604Ophiuchus–314,000IaMilky WayKepler's Star; most recent readily visible supernova within the Milky Way
Cas A,
ca. 1680		Cassiopeia+59,000IIbMilky WayApparently never visually conspicuous, due to interstellar dust; but the remnant, Cas A, is the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky
SNR G1.9+0.3,
ca. 1868		Sagittarius25,000Milky Way"Posthumously" discovered in 1985; age determined in 2008
SN 1885AAndromeda+72,500,000IpecAndromeda GalaxyFirst observation of an extragalactic supernova
SN 1895BCentaurus+8.010,900,000IaNGC 5253
SN 1937CCanes Venatici+8.413,000,000IaIC 4182
SN 1939CCepheus+1325,200,000IFireworks Galaxy
SN 1940BComa Berenices+12.838,000,000II-PNGC 4725
SN 1961VPerseus+12.530,000,000II?NGC 1058Potential supernova impostor
SN 1972ECentaurus+8.710,900,000IaNGC 5253Followed for more than a year; became the prototypical Type Ia supernova
SN 1983NHydra+11.815,000,000IbMessier 83First observation of a Type Ib supernova
SN 1986JAndromeda+18.430,000,000IInNGC 891Bright in the radio frequency range
SN 1987ADorado+2.9160,000IIpecLarge Magellanic CloudIntense radiation reached Earth on February 23, 1987, 7:35:35 UT. Notable for archival photos of progenitor star and detection of supernova neutrinos. Most recent Local Group supernova
SN 1993JUrsa Major+10.811,000,000IIbM81One of the brightest supernovae in the northern sky since 1954
SN 1994DVirgo+15.250,000,000IaNGC 4526
SN 1998bwTelescopium?140,000,000IcESO 184-G82Linked to GRB 980425, which was the first time a gamma-ray burst has been linked to a supernova.
SN 1999ehLynx+18.3 +/- 0.384,000,000 INGC 2770First supernovae in this galaxy, where 3 more was detected later.
SN 2002bjLupus+14.7160,000,000IInNGC 1821AM Canum Venaticorum-type outburst.
SN 2003fgBoötes4,000,000,000Iaanonymous galaxyAlso known as the "Champagne supernova"
SN 2004djCamelopardalis8,000,000II-PNGC 2403NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group
SN 2005apComa Berenices4,700,000,000II?Announced in 2007 to be the brightest supernova up to that point.
SN 2005gjCetus865,000,000Ia/II-n?Notable for having characteristics of both Type Ia and Type IIn.
SN 2005glPisces+16.5200,000,000II-nNGC 266Star could be found on old pictures.
SN 2006gyPerseus+15240,000,000IIn NGC 1260Observed by NASA,
*with a peak of over 70 days, possibly a new type.
SN 2007biVirgo+18.3Iaanonymous dwarf galaxyExtremely bright and long-lasting, the first good observational match for the pair-instability supernova model postulated for stars of initial mass greater than 140 solar masses. The precursor is estimated at 200 solar masses, similar to the first stars of the early universe.\
SN 2007uyLynx+16.884,000,000IbcNGC 2770Got overshadowed by SN 2008D.
SN 2008DLynx88,000,000IbcNGC 2770First supernova to be observed while it exploded.
MENeaC Abell399.3.14.0Aries+28.71,000,000,000
Iaanonymous red globular cluster associated with anonymous red elliptical galaxy in cluster Abell 399Observed in 2009. Supernova associated with a globular cluster
SN 2009ipPiscis Austrinus66,000,000IInNGC 7259In 2009 classified as supernova. Redesignated as Luminous blue variable Supernova impostor. In September 2012 classified as a young type IIn supernova.
SN 2010ltCamelopardalis+17.0240,000,000Ia UGC 3378Discovered by 10-year-old girl, the youngest person to discover a supernova.
SN 2011feUrsa Major+10.021,000,000IaM101One of the very few extragalactic supernovae visible in 50mm binoculars.
SN 2014JUrsa Major+10.511,500,000IaM82Closest supernova since SN 2004dj in NGC 2403.
ASASSN-15lh SN 2015LIndus+16.93,800,000,000IcAPMUKS B215839.70−615403.9Most luminous hypernova ever observed.
IPTF14hlsUrsa Major+17.7509,000,000unknown? Unusual supernova
SN 2016apsDraco3,600,000,000SLSB-II?Most luminous supernova-like event to date.