SN 2010lt


SN 2010lt is a supernova located in the galaxy UGC 3378 in Camelopardalis. It was discovered by amateur astronomers Kathryn Aurora Gray, her father Paul Gray, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and David J. Lane of Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada. Upon discovery, Kathryn Aurora Gray became the youngest person to ever discover a supernova, being 10 years old when she did so. The previous record was held by the 14-year-old Caroline Moore.

Discovery

The images were taken at Lane's Abbey Ridge Observatory on 31 December 2010 with a Celestron C14 0.36-meter f/5.5 telescope, and the supernova was spotted by them on 2 January 2011. The discovery was confirmed on 3 January 2011 by the amateur astronomers Brian Tieman and Jack Newton and announced by the IAU Central Bureau of Astronomical Telegrams at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was announced by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada on the same day.

Discoverers

SN 2010lt is about 20" west and 10" north of the galaxy center. It is a sub-luminous type Ia supernova and was discovered when near maximum light. The supernova could not be detected at its current position on images taken between October 2005 and March 2006.