I’ve good news to report. A supernova discovered by Chinese
observers last Tuesday in the galaxy NGC 3972 in the Big Dipper
has become bright enough to see with modest equipment. Many
dozens of supernovae or exploding stars are discovered every
year in galaxies beyond the Milky Way, but most are too faint to
see through the average telescope. Not so with supernova 2011
by. By good luck, the Chinese observers spotted it some 10 days
before it was predicted to reach peak brightness. At the time,
the ‘new star’ was already bright and located in a relatively
nearby galaxy, upping the chances it would get even brighter and
become an easy target in smaller telescopes. Currently shining
at magnitude 13.4 and still rising, the star is within range of
6-inch telescopes from dark, rural skies and 8-inch or larger
scopes under moderate light pollution. 2011by – pronounced ‘Bee-
Why’ rather than ‘by’ – got its name because it’s the 77th
supernova discovered this year. Astronomers name supernovae
after letters in the alpha