Supernova 2013df in NGC 4414
Supernova 2013df in NGC 4414
The spiral galaxy to the left of center in this picture is NGC 4414. It is about 62 million lightyears away from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. On June 8th astronomers in Italy noted a new bright star in the galaxy just to the left of the center in this image. A spectrum obtained by the Keck II telescope in Hawaii two days later confirmed this was a star many times the mass of the Sun that had exploded as a supernova.
Perseid Meteor Star Party August 11/12
Perseid Meteor Star Party August 11/12
The University of Illinois Springfield Astronomy-Physics Program is co-hosting a viewing of the Perseid Meteor shower before dawn on Monday, August 12.
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Nearby Galaxy M33
Nearby Galaxy M33
This is a composite image of the galaxy M33 in the constellation Triangulum. It is a collection of 40 billion stars about 3 million light years away. M33 is one of three large galaxies in our local group (including also the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milkway Galaxy).
Reaching Stellar: Astronomy Program Builds the Future
For more than 40 years, thousands of people have come to UIS to look up at the stars.
Friday Night Star Parties have been held since 1980 and are a chance to learn about galaxies, the sun, stars and stellar evolution. Celestial objects that have been viewed over the years through the telescopes atop Brookens Library include the moon, planets, constellations and the Orion Nebula, among many others.
