Another Type Ia Supernova Appears in NGC 7331
In July 2025, Supernova 2025rbs was discovered in NGC 7331
and became one of the brightest supernovae of the year. It was a Type Ia
supernova. On September 1, 2026, another Type Ia supernova was discovered in
the same galaxy: SN2026aaiv. NGC 7331 is well placed for observation at this
time of year, high in the constellation Pegasus and transiting the meridian
around midnight. Because the galaxy is about 45 million light-years from Earth,
the light from this supernova began its journey 45 million years ago. NGC 7331
is the most prominent galaxy in a field known as the Deer Lick Group, and the
smaller companion galaxies are often called the Fleas.
The Buffalo Astronomical Association held its September 2026
monthly meeting on Friday, September 11. Our observatory director and several
other members joined the Zoom meeting from the club's dark-sky observatory in
North Java, NY: Beaver Meadow Observatory, or BMO. I could not join them at the
observatory, but I attended via Zoom. After the meeting, we opened a breakout
room for astrophotography and kept the Zoom going until after 1 a.m. Our target
for the evening was the new supernova in NGC 7331. The skies were clear and
quite good, and the team collected 32 five-minute exposures with the Celestron
14" EdgeHD telescope, OGMA AP26CC camera, and Astro-Physics AP1200 mount.
The data was shared with the group, and this post shows my processing of it. I
hope you enjoy the images!
Below are three versions of the image: the processed view, a
marked version showing the supernova's location, and a fully annotated version
for orientation.
Image 1: SN2026aaiv in NGC 7331
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| SN2026aaiv in NGC 7331 captured on September 11, 2026, from the BMO. |
Image 2: Marked View of SN2026aaiv
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| Image with markers identifying the position of SN2026aaiv. |
Image 3: Annotated Image of SN2026aaiv in NGC 7331
 |
| Annotated image of SN2026aaiv in NGC 7331. |
Conclusion
Friday was packed with astronomy activity: our club's monthly meeting, a guest speaker on collecting exoplanet data with amateur equipment, time on Zoom with the imaging group while they captured SN2026aaiv in NGC 7331, and even some imaging from home for me. Clear skies, good friends, and a bright supernova made it a great night indeed!
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