List of supernovae


A supernova is an event in which a star destroys itself in an explosion which can briefly become as luminous as an entire galaxy. This list of supernovas of historical significance includes events that were observed prior to the development of photography, and individual events that have been the subject of a scientific paper that contributed to supernova theory.

List of supernovae

In most entries, the year when the supernova was seen is part of the designation.
Supernova
designation
ConstellationObservationsApparent
magnitude		Distance
TypeGalaxyNotes
SN 185Centaurus7 December 185−4 9,100Ia Milky WaySurviving description sketchy; modern estimates of maximum apparent magnitude vary from +4 to −8. The remnant is probably RCW 86, some 8200 ly distant, making it comparable to SN 1572. Some researchers have suggested it was a comet, not a supernova.
SN 386SagittariusApril/May 386+1.514,700IIMilky Way"suggested SN", candidate remnant could be G11.2-0.3. There are three suggestions and doubtful if SN at all or classical nova or something else.
SN 393Scorpius27 February − 28 March - 22 October − 19 November 393–03,400 II/IbMilky Way"possible SN", could also be classical nova or something else
SN 1006Lupus17 April 1006 - 1 May 1006–7.57,200IaMilky WayWidely observed on Earth; in apparent magnitude, the brightest stellar event in recorded history.
SN 1054Taurus
–66,500IIMilky WayRemnant is the Crab Nebula with its pulsar
SN 1181Cassiopeia4 August 1181 - 6 August 118107,100sub-luminous Type Iax supernovaMilky WayRemnant is Pa 31 with its hot stellar remnant
SN 1572CassiopeiaNovember 1572–4.08,000IaMilky WayTycho's Nova
SN 1604Ophiuchus8–9 October 1604–314,000IaMilky WayKepler's Supernova; most recent readily visible supernova within the Milky Way
Cas A,
c. 1680		Cassiopeia1680+59,000IIbMilky WayApparently never visually conspicuos, due to interstellar dust; but the remnant, Cas A, is the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky
G1.9+0.3,
cal. 1868		Sagittarius186825,000IaMilky WayLocated near the Galactic Center; "Posthumously" discovered in 1985; age determined in 2008
SN 1885AAndromeda20 August 1885+5.852,500,000IpecAndromeda GalaxyFirst observation of an extragalactic supernova
SN 1895BCentaurus12 December 1895+8.010,900,000IaNGC 5253
SN 1909AUrsa MajorJanuary 1909+12.121,000,000Pinwheel Galaxy
SN 1937CCanes Venatici24 August 1937+8.413,000,000IaIC 4182
SN 1939CCepheus17 July 1939+13.025,200,000INGC 6946
SN 1940BComa Berenices5 May 1940+12.838,000,000II-PNGC 4725
SN 1951HUrsa Major1 September 1951+17.521,000,000Pinwheel Galaxy
SN 1961VPerseus11 July 1961+12.530,000,000II?NGC 1058Potential supernova impostor
SN 1970GUrsa Major30 July 1970+12.121,000,000IIPinwheel Galaxy
SN 1972ECentaurus13 May 1972+8.710,900,000IaNGC 5253Followed for more than a year; became the prototypical Type Ia supernova
SN 1983NHydra3 July 1983+11.815,000,000IbMessier 83First observation of a Type Ib supernova
SN 1986JAndromeda21 August 1986+18.430,000,000IInNGC 891Bright in the radio frequency range
SN 1987ADorado1987+2.9160,000IIpecLarge Magellanic CloudIntense radiation reached Earth on February 23, 1987, 7:35:35 UT. Notable for archival photos of progenitor star and detection of supernova neutrinos. Most recent Local Group supernova
SN 1993JUrsa Major28 March 1993+10.711,000,000IIbM81One of the brightest supernovae in the northern sky since 1954
SN 1994DVirgo7 March 1994+15.250,000,000IaNGC 4526
SN 1998bwTelescopium26 April 1998?140,000,000IcESO 184-G82Linked to GRB 980425, which was the first time a gamma-ray burst has been linked to a supernova.
SN 1999ehLynx12 October 1999+18.3 +/- 0.384,000,000 INGC 2770First supernovae in this galaxy, where 3 more were detected later.
SN 2002bjLupus2002+14.7160,000,000IInNGC 1821AM Canum Venaticorum-type outburst.
SN 2002ddUrsa Major2002+24.08,000,000,000Iaanonymous galaxyFurthest supernova observed through Hubble Deep Field.
SN 2003fgBoötes20034,000,000,000Iaanonymous galaxyAlso known as the "Champagne supernova"
SN 2004amUrsa MajorMarch 200411,500,000IIM82
SN 2004djCamelopardalis31 July 2004
18:15		8,000,000II-PNGC 2403NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group
SN 2213-1745AquariusNovember 2004-June 2005II
SN 2005apComa Berenices3 March 20054,700,000,000II?Announced in 2007 to be the brightest supernova up to that point.
SN 2005gjCetus27 September 2005865,000,000Ia/II-n?Notable for having characteristics of both Type Ia and Type IIn.
SN 2005glPisces5 October 2005+16.5200,000,000II-nNGC 266Star could be found on old pictures.
SN 2006gyPerseus18 September 2006+15240,000,000IIn NGC 1260Observed by NASA,
*with a peak of over 70 days, possibly a new type.
SN 2006jcLynx9 October 200677,000,000IbnUGC 4904
SN 2007biVirgoEarly 2007+18.3Iaanonymous dwarf galaxyExtremely bright and long-lasting, the first good observational match for the pair-instability supernova model postulated for stars of initial mass greater than 140 solar masses. The precursor is estimated at 200 solar masses, similar to the first stars of the early universe.
SN 2007uyLynx31 December 2007+16.884,000,000IbcNGC 2770Got overshadowed by SN 2008D.
SN 2008DLynx9 January 200888,000,000IbcNGC 2770First supernova to be observed while it exploded.
MENeaC Abell399.3.14.0Aries+28.71,000,000,000
Iaanonymous red globular cluster associated with anonymous red elliptical galaxy in cluster Abell 399Observed in 2009. Supernova associated with a globular cluster
SN 2009ipPiscis Austrinus200966,000,000IInNGC 7259In 2009 classified as supernova. Redesignated as Luminous blue variable (LBV) Supernova impostor. In September 2012 classified as a young type IIn supernova.
SN 2010ltCamelopardalis2 January 2011+17.0240,000,000Ia UGC 3378Discovered by 10-year-old girl, the youngest person to discover a supernova.
SN 2011feUrsa Major24 August 2011+10.021,000,000IaM101One of the very few extragalactic supernovae visible in 50mm binoculars.
SN UDS10WilCetusApril 201316,600,000,000Also Known as SN Wilson.
SN 2014JUrsa MajorMid January 2014+10.111,500,000IaM82Closest supernova since SN 2004dj in NGC 2403.
SN 2014aaLeo7 March 2014310,000,000IaNGC 3861
SN RefsdalLeo11 November 201414,400,000,000SP 1149It is the first detected multiply-lensed supernova, visible within the field of the galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223.
ASASSN-15gaVirgo1 April 20151,000,000,000IaNGC 4866
ASASSN-15lh SN 2015LIndus14 June 2015+16.93,800,000,000IcAPMUKS(BJ) B215839.70−615403.9Most luminous hypernova ever observed.
IPTF14hlsUrsa MajorSeptember 2014+17.7509,000,000unknownSDSS J092034.44+504148.7 Unusual supernova
SN 2016apsDraco22 February 2016+18.113,600,000,000SLSB-II?Most luminous supernova-like event to date.
SN 2017gaxDorado14 August 2017517,000,000 INGC 1672
SN 2018gvPuppis15 January 201870,000,000IaNGC 2525
SN 2018zdCamelopardalis2 March 2018+17.870,000,000Ia-csmNGC 2146First electron capture supernova ever detected
SN 2018cowHercules16 June 2018, 10:35:02200,000,000IbCGCG 137-068
SN 2019npLeo Minor9 January 2019+13.075,000,000 IaNGC 3254
SN 2019hgpBoötes+20.16920,000,000IcnFirst detected supernova of a Wolf-Rayet star
SN 2020oiComa Berenices7 January 2020+17.2846,000,000IcMessier 100
SN 2020fqvVirgo31 March 2020+19.059,400,000IIbNGC 4568Earliest known observation of an explosion, 26 hours after
SN 2020jfoVirgo6 May 202045,610,000IIM61
SN 2020tlfBoötes2020+15.89120,000,000IInNGC 5731First red supergiant observed before, during and after explosion; earliest known observation, at 130 days before explosion
SN 2021gmjUrsa Major20 March 2021+11.234,800,000II-PNGC 3310
SN 2021hprDracoApril 2, 2021129,000,000 ± 29IaNGC 3147
SN 2021jadLepusApril 202165,000,000IaNGC 1964
SN 2021yjaEridanus8 September 2021750,000,000IINGC 1325
SN 2021aefxDorado11 November 2021+17.269,000,000IaNGC 1566
SN 2021afdxSculptor23 November 2021+18.8500,000,000IICartwheel Galaxy
SN 2022jliCetus5 May 2022+1475,000,000type I-cNGC 157Type Ic, shows periodicity
SN 2022aajnGeminiNovember 2022600,000,000Ia
SN 2023ixfUrsa Major19 May 2023
17:27		+10.821,000,000type II-LPinwheel Galaxy Closest and brightest supernova since SN 2014J
SN 2023rveFornax8 September 2023+13.9450,000,000IINGC 1097Brightest Supernova Since SN 2023ixf.
SN 2023vylPegasus28 October 2023783,000,000IaNGC 7625
SN 2023abdgGrus12 December 2023816,000,000IINGC 7421
SN 2023ufx+15.55 IIThe most metal-poor supernova found to date.
SN H0peUrsa Major2023+23.9316,100,000,000 IaPLCK G165.7+67.0 Arc 1
SN 2024gyVirgo4 January 2024+12.855,000,000 IaNGC 4216
SN 2024ggiHydra11 April 2024+11.921,700,000 IINGC 3621
SN 2024invLeo10 May 2024+12.182,200,000 IaNGC 3524
SN 2024muvVirgo26 June 2024+12.765,000,000 IaNGC 4699
SN 2024abflCamelopardalis15 November 202441,000,000 IINGC 2146
SN 2025fvwSerpens26 March 2025+13.8100,000,000 IaNGC 5957

Supernova statistics

YearTotalType IType IILBV
Brighter than
apmag 13		Apmag of brightest
Supernova of that year
202416754734511.9
202314304177210.9
202217323967412.1
202118494655812.0
202016484517711.8
201916524859113.0
201812063327512.7
201782937462184311.5
201677376812263013.0
201544747072144212.9
201422435281752310.1
201319224981907611.3
201212235501528511.9
201111294391601079.9
20109312791357212.8
20095762021371013.0
20085112511431312.4
20076054421301312.0
20065584181242312.1
2005385273941212.3
2004343221790211.2
2003384198891112.3
2002353163640112.3
2001310108750212.3
200019976491013.1
2000–2023147,13516,297
50009572