This Type II (core collapse) supernova was captured by cameras of ROTSE-III and followed up with the Keck. Pictured is a before and after image of the general area from file images.

Lately there have been several very bright supernova, in contrast with what we usually see out of objects with similar spectral characteristics. Clearly it is a type II event- confirmed by spectra.

Why have the type II SN we've been seeing lately been so bright? Could it be because they occure in a low extinction wavepath proximate to our position? Galaxies in particular and the universe in general are rather dusty places. As a wave packet of happy little photons at specific wavelengths zips along at relativietic speeds, its very easy for some of those photons to be lost in galactic or intergalactic gas and dust- the higher the frequence, the greater the loss. This loss is called extinction which works by a process called absorption which can be observed spectroscopically. As light passes through gas and dust clouds, it leave absortpion lines on the spectra. The more material that the light passes through, the more absortion occures until the signal is gone.

Absorption isn't such a bad thing. Our oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere absorbs everything on the high side of UV, x-rays and gamma rays and protects us all from ionizing radiation. Yeah atmosphere!

Absorption is as much a tool as it is a nuisance. It allows us to see if gas or dust clouds lie between us and a star and the absortption line spectra gives us clues as to the composition, temperature and even chemistry of those clouds.

This SN occured at what's called a "HIGH-Z" or high redshift, specifically z = 0.2832 putting it in the neighborhood of 5 billion light years away.

Quimby, et al: SN 2005AP: A MOST BRILLIANT EXPLOSION