astronomy

SN 2011dh

SN 2011dh is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SN 2011dh rather than just read about it. In short: SN 2011dh was a supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). It was discovered on 31 May 2011, with an apparent magnitude 13.5. and confirmed by several sources, including the Palomar Transient Factory.

Key takeaways

SN 2011dh belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SN 2011dh to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SN 2011dh from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SN 2011dh was a supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). It was discovered on 31 May 2011, with an apparent magnitude 13.5. and confirmed by several sources, including the Palomar Transient Factory. A candidate progenitor was detected in Hubble Space Telescope images. The progenitor may have been a highly luminous yellow supergiant with an initial mass of 18-24 solar masses. The supernova peaked near apparent magnitude 12.1 on 19 June 2011. Emission spectra indicated that the explosion was a type II supernova, in which a massive star collapses once nuclear fusion has ceased in its core. SN2011dh was the third supernova to be recorded in the Whirlpool galaxy since 1994 (following SN 1994I and SN 2005cs). The supernova frequency in the Milky Way is estimated to be around one event every 40 years.

References

External links GIF animation of pre and post images of SN 2011dh Views of the developing supernova SN 2011dh progenitor? Magnitude comparison 2011-06-02 Twitter Helps Astronomers Zero-In on M51 Supernova Archived 2012-09-30 at the Wayback Machine (Jun 6, 2011 Ian O'Neill) M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) at Las Cumbres Observatory on 6 Jun 2011 Supernova sn2011dh in M51 is brightening! (June 14, 2011 Ian Musgrave) PTF11eon/SN2011dh: Discovery of a Type IIb Supernova From a Compact Progenitor in the Nearby Galaxy M51 (arXiv:1106.3551 : 17 Jun 2011) Panchromatic Observations of SN 2011dh Point to a Compact Progenitor Star (arXiv:1107.1876 : 10 Jul 2011)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SN 2011dh

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SN 2011dh claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SN 2011dh before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SN 2011dh ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SN 2011dh

In research: SN 2011dh appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SN 2011dh in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SN 2011dh is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 2011, Canes Venatici, Type II supernovae, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SN 2011dh outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SN 2011dh in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SN 2011dh means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SN 2011dh out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SN 2011dh in simple terms?

SN 2011dh was a supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). It was discovered on 31 May 2011, with an apparent magnitude 13.5. and confirmed by several sources, including the Palomar Transient Factory.

Why does SN 2011dh matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SN 2011dh?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SN 2011dh.