APOW
Assassin Picture of the Week

2015 December 11

ASASSN-15ts: Our 250th Supernova!

ASASSN-15ts, our 250th supernova, is exciting for several reasons. Yes, the most exciting reason is that it is the 250th supernova discovered by ASAS-SN. ASASSN-13an, our first SN, was discovered on June 5th, 2013, and it took us until January 2015 to discover our 100th supernova. However, our SN discovery rate has increased dramatically in May 2014 and even more so in December 2014, as we have added more telescopes and we have also refined our detection algorithms.

Another reason to be excited about this particular event is that it is relatively faint for ASAS-SN, V=17.3, and at rather large distance, 250 megaparsecs (redshift z=0.06), so about twice as far as we usually find our supernovae. We have discovered some supernovae even further away, but ASASSN-15ts is at this point the most distant "normal" Type Ia event we have discovered.

So far in 2015 we have discovered more than 160 supernovae, and we are optimistic that this rate of discovery, higher than expected, will continue in 2016. We are planning to deploy more ASAS-SN telescopes, funds permitting, which will allow us to better deal with bad weather at any given site, as well as alowing us to find rare, exciting events when they are still very young. For example, ASAS-SN has discovered ASASSN-15th, the only classical nova found so far in 2015 in M33, despite the fact that this famous and nearby "Triangulum Galaxy" is a very popular target for many astronomers, professional and amateur. So as always, stay tuned!


Back to ASAS-SN page.


See previous APOWs:

ASASSN-15oz: The First Supernova Discovered Using New "Cassius" Telescope

Tom's poster at the 2015 DOE CSGF Annual Program Review

Tom and Ben: "Coffee Briefs" for Two Recent ASAS-SN Papers

ASAS-SN ``Unpaid Professional Collaborators'': Joe Brimacombe

Where Do Type Ia Supernova Dwell?

Bright Supernova Discoveries Statistics (Again)

ASASSN-14lp: the Brightest Supernova Currently on the Sky

ASASSN-14li: Possible Tidal Disruption Event in Progress

ASASSN-13co: Type-Defying Luminous Type II Supernova

Bright Supernova Discoveries Statistics

Bright Supernovae: ASAS-SN Contribution

Our Big Boom: ASASSN-14cl

First Light on the Small Magellanic Cloud from Chile

Congratulations to Tom and Jacob!

ASASSN-13dn: Spectra from a New Instrument

ASASSN-14ae, A Very Luminous Transient

Our Latest Paper, in Video Form

Host Galaxies of ASAS-SN Supernovae

Back in Real-Time Discovery Business!

We Have a Logo!

Active (Some Less, Some More) Galactic Nuclei with ASAS-SN

Brutus is EXPANDING!

Swift Ultraviolet and Optical Follow-Up of ASASSN-13dl, Our Latest Supernova

Dramatic AGN Outburst in NGC 2617

M81 and Friends

Two ASAS-SN Views of Orion Nebula

AAVSO Observations of Cataclysmic Variable ASASSN-13ck

Two ASAS-SN Supernovae in One Day!

It is Good to be Lucky!

Extreme M-dwarf Flare Observed by ASAS-SN;

Neptune Discovered!

Multiband photometric follow-up of ASASSN-13aw (SN 2013dr);

"Assassin" Unit 1: Brutus;

How ASAS-SN Discovers Supernovae: Case of Supernova ASASSN-13bb;

NGC 2617: Dramatic Seyfert Type Change;

ASASSN-13/SN 2013da: Our First Supernova Three Weeks Later;

M31 and Companions;


This homepage is maintained by Tom Holoien and Kris Stanek. Updated Fri Dec 11 15:00:52 EST 2015

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