I captured a beautiful galaxy and a bright supernova
2
Minutes
Some 46 million years ago a massive star in the Splinter Galaxy (NGC 5907), in Draco constellation, reached the end of its life in a spectacular Type II Supernova explosion.
I was at the CAO Spring Work Party during the first weekend of May 2026. The schedule was packed and weather conditions were brutal, with freezing temperatures and even snow during the day. But by the afternoon, the sky cleared completely and was just too tempting to ignore.
Undeterred by the cold, along with another RASC volunteer, we set up the 8″ RC with a ZWO ASI1600MM and captured LRGB data on this beautiful galaxy.
With just over 30 minutes of total integration, the galaxy’s dust lanes came through nicely and the bright supernova, SN 2026kid, is clearly visible in the frame.
If you look carefully at the image, you can also spot a small companion: PGC 54419. This dwarf galaxy is estimated to be only about 120,000 light‑years away from NGC 5907’s center, and its radial velocity is very similar to that of the Splinter Galaxy, indicating that the two galaxies are gravitationally bound.
Bonus track: a few days ago an amateur astrophotographer (Outten Astrophotography on YouTube) managed to capture the entire sequence of this event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfWNanBaMwk.
