Tracking SN 2025rbs: A Supernova's Journey Through C30
This past year has been an incredible journey documenting the supernova SN 2025rbs within the galaxy C30. From September 2024 to just last night, we've had the privilege of observing its dramatic changes, and the results are truly breathtaking. It's astonishing to see a single star explode with such intensity that it rivals the brightness of its entire host galaxy, a galaxy comparable in size to our own Milky Way!
The Celestial Canvas: Equipment and Acquisition
Capturing this event required a dedicated setup, pushing the boundaries of what's possible for amateur astronomers:
- Telescope: Askar 120mm apo triplet 🔭
- Filter: Optolong L-Xtreme🔘
- Filter Wheel: ZWO filter wheel
- Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro ⚙️
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM duo pro cooled 📷
- Control System: AsiAIR Plus 🟥
- Guiding: William Optics guide scope with ZWO ASI120MM 🎯
Our imaging sessions were spread out, accounting for the challenges of astronomical observation, including the less-than-ideal summer conditions in London:
- September 2024 Image: 60 x 120-second exposures
- August 2025 Image: 24 x 30-second exposures
Standard calibration frames were meticulously acquired: bias, sky flats, darks, and flat darks.
Bringing the Cosmos to Life: Processing
The raw data was transformed into the stunning visuals you see today through a rigorous processing pipeline:
- Deep Sky Stacking & Enhancement: Pixinsight was the workhorse, employing Wheelhouse's powerful Weighted Batch Preprocessing (WBPP), Morphological Stretching (MSG), BlurXterminator, NoiseXterminator, and StarXterminator to refine the image.
- Stretching and Optimization: A statistical stretch was applied to reveal the fainter details, followed by further adjustments in Photoshop for color balance and saturation.
- Video Creation: An Apple screen capture was used to create a video showcasing the supernova's evolution.
- Final Touches: The final optimization was performed within the iPhone Photos app for seamless viewing on mobile devices.
Visualizing the Supernova
Here's a glimpse of the incredible transformation:
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This project highlights the dedication and technical skill involved in modern astrophotography. It's a testament to our ongoing quest to understand the universe, one exploding star at a time.
#Astrophysics #Astronomy #Supernova #DeepSky #Space #C30 #SN2025rbs
