How to see supernova PTF11kly

AN EXPLODING star in a nearby galaxy will be visible to anyone able to secure a pair of binoculars and a clear night sky over the next few days. The supernova, labelled PTF11kly by overjoyed astronomers, occurred in the Pinwheel galaxy, 21 million light years away. Astronomers say that's our intergalactic backyard.

The supernova was first detected by Oxford University astronomers on August 24, in what scientists believe were the early hours of the explosion. The discovery so early in the phenomenon's life cycle gives astronomers a rare opportunity to study a supernova in great detail.

The supernova is a type 1a, which is significant because it is the kind used by scientists to study the expansion of the universe. The last one of this type to be so near to our own galaxy was in 1972.

How to see supernova PTF11kly
The supernova is expected to reach its peak some time between September 9 and 12. During this period, it will be possible to see it through binoculars or a small telescope - if the viewing location is away from light pollution and the sky is clear.

Dr Mark Sullivan of Oxford University tells the BBC's Today programme that stargazers should look for the supernova just after twilight, when the night sky is very dark.

To find the Pinwheel galaxy, where the PTF11kly supernova is happening, look for the Ursa Major constellation - also known as the Plough or the Big Dipper - which is high in the night sky.

Look at the 'handle' of the plough (pictured above) and imagine a line between the second and third stars. The blueish-white supernova is just above and to the left of this line.

What you will see, according to Dr Sullivan, is a fuzz of light, which is the Pinwheel galaxy. The supernova will be at the lower edge of this fuzz. ·