September 4, 2003
09:00 AM (EDT)

News Release Number: STScI-2003-24

Celestial Composition

September 4, 2003: Amid a backdrop of far-off galaxies, the majestic dusty spiral
NGC 3370 looms in the foreground in this NASA Hubble Space
Telescope image. Recent observations taken with the Advanced
Camera for Surveys show intricate spiral arm structure spotted
with hot areas of new star formation. But this galaxy is more
than just a pretty face. Nearly 10 years earlier, NGC 3370,
located in the constellation Leo, hosted a bright exploding star.

Q & A: Understanding the Discovery

1.
What was the bright exploding star?

In November 1994, the light of a supernova in nearby NGC 3370
reached Earth. This stellar outburst briefly outshone all of
the tens of billions of other stars in its galaxy. Although
supernovae are common, with one exploding every few seconds
somewhere in the universe, this one was special. Designated
SN 1994ae, this supernova was one of the nearest and best
observed supernovae since the advent of modern digital
detectors. The supernova was also a member of a special
subclass of supernovae, the type Ia, the best tool
astronomers have to chart the growth rate of the
expanding universe.