Amateur Astronomers Outshine Hubble in Capturing Supernova Wreckage

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image of the hazy spiral galaxy NGC 941, which once hosted a supernova explosion. The image shows the remnants of the stellar explosion, known as SN 2005ad, and its surrounding environment. Amateur astronomer Kōichi Itagaki initially discovered the supernova, highlighting the important role that amateur astronomers play in detecting astronomical events. The data collected by Hubble will contribute to a larger initiative to understand the environments in which hydrogen-rich supernovae occur.