Searching for Supernovae in the Sky and on the Web (Abstract)

Volume 32 number 1 (2004)

Wayne P. Johnson

Abstract

(Abstract only) A supernova (SN) is the ultimate variable star. At its peak a SN is about 20 magnitudes brighter than its progenitor star, which itself is around 10 solar masses. Unlike common novae, supernovae (SNe) occur only once. This paper discusses the cause of SNe at a very high level, techniques to find them in the sky and estimate their brightness, and where to find information about them on the Internet.