[Chaos-l] Possible Really Stupid Question

[Allen Davis]

I did a google as I am sure you already did and only see reference to  
the 2005 event.  Is this in a similar area to what we saw last night?  
Google that event and look at some pics?

You would think that we would be hearing something, but I swear I  
don't remember a star in that positiion.  allen
On May 20, 2009, at 10:23 AM, Robert Nielsen wrote:

> OK ... I realize this might be a really stupid question ... but is  
> there a new supernova in M51?
>
> The reason I ask is that Jon Stewart-Taylor and I drove to Medoc  
> Mountain State Park last night and met Allen Davis and Don Hale  
> there.   Around midnight, I was looking at M51 because it was  
> basically overhead, and noticed a bright star in the outer edge of  
> the arms.   I showed it to Allen and Jon (who were still there ...  
> Don had gone home earlier) and they both saw it ... so I wasn't  
> hallucinating.
>
> Now that I'm back home, I took a look at some photos of M51 off the  
> web, and I don't see a bright star in the position where we saw  
> it.   There *might* be a bright star in the general area in some of  
> the pictures ... but comparing the brightness to the other stars  
> around it I don't think that is it.   It was blantantly obvious ...  
> a very bright (what looked like a foreground star) in the outer arms  
> of the galaxy.   I can't post pictures here (to show you the  
> location), so I will try to describe:  orient photos of M51 with the  
> smaller companion up, and the "connecting" arm to the right.  Then  
> the star we saw was about 7 o'clock if 12 was straight up ... and in  
> the outermost visible arm (which admittedly might not be the real  
> outermost arm but I think we could faintly see most of the galaxy).
>
> In pictures, I think I can see some (what I would call) H II star- 
> forming regions ... but like I said, those (in the pictures) seem to  
> blend a little better into the glow of the arm.  This one was a very  
> obvious, very distinct STAR image.
>
> If you have a chance, and can take a look ... check out M51, and  
> tell me what you see.   I might just be seeing something that is  
> always there, but I don't think so.
>
> Robert
>
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