Spiral galaxy in Pegasus with supernova
Roll over the image for object labels.
On the evening of September 7, 2026. I took out my Dwarf Mini telescope to see what it could do with a well-known galaxy, NGC 7331. As soon as the first 60-second exposure appeared, I knew something was not right. The nucleus of the galaxy looked double, and I knew it should not look that way. After a few more exposures were stacked, the star just below the nucleus became clear and unambiguous. I did a quick online search, and I learned that a supernova was discovered in this galaxy just 6 days earlier, on September 1, 2026. It was very exciting to see this unexpected star appear on my screen.
This image shows the supernova shining at about magnitude 14, bright enough to be seen visually through a large amateur telescope.
Near the bottom edge of the image are the dim galaxies of Stephan's Quintet.
The lower image was taken with a 14" Meade telescope one week later. Compared to nearby stars, the supernova showed no obvious change in brightness.
| Magnitude | 9.3 |
| Apparent Size | 10.5' x 3.7' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 47 million |
| Right Ascension | 22:37.1 |
| Declination | +34 25 |
| Field of View | 72' x 52' |
Upper image: 106 exposures of 60 seconds each, taken with a Dwarf Mini telesope.
September 7, 2026
