27 Jul, 2017
Blog 23: Fireworks
The Fireworks Galaxy, scientific designation NGC 6946, has that nickname for a good reason: more supernovas have popped off there than in any other known island universe. Counting the latest, the supernova discovered by Patrick Wiggins at 8:28 p.m. May 13, a total of 10 of these largest known explosions have occurred in the galaxy since 1917.
The runner-up is the galaxy M-61, a large example in the Virgo Cluster, which has generated seven since 1926. An ordinary galaxy like ours, which is at