Finding the Progenitor of the Supernova in Cen A Using MagAO
"A week ago (February 8), a bright supernova, SN 2016adj, appeared in the active galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A). Classified as Type IIb, its progenitor is believed to be a very massive star in a binary system, undergoing a significant mass loss before explosion. However, direct identification of the progenitor remains challenging. Since SN 2016adj is only 4" from a bright foreground star, it is an ideal target for Arizona's Magellan Adaptive Optics system and its visible AO camera. Steward Observers Jared Males, Laird Close, and Katie Morzinski observed the supernova on February 13. Steward grad student Ya-Lin Wu compared the new MagAO image to archival HST and VLT data, and we were able to identify a possible progenitor star. Notably, this is the 5th Type IIb progenitor identified in pre-explosion images over the past 20 years. Yesterday we posted our results on the Astronomer's Telegram." You can find the link HERE and the blog from which these words were excerpted (with permission) HERE.
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