NASA observes largest supernova on record
<noinclude>
{{date|May 8, 2007}}

[[Image:NASA Supernova May07.jpg|right|200px|thumb|According to observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes, the supernova SN 2006gy is the brightest and most energetic stellar explosion ever recorded. {{image source|[http://www.nasa.gov/mission pages/chandra/multimedia/photos07-052.html NASA/CXC/SAO]}}]] [[w:SN 2006gy|SN 2006gy]] was the brightest and largest [[w:supernova|supernova]] ever discovered, scientists announced. The star was in the NGC 1260 galaxy, in the same direction as the constellation [[w:Perseus|Perseus]] and may be a type of supernova previously predicted by theory but not observed. The conclusion was reached after extended observations of the supernova by both optical telescopes and X-ray telescopy. Currently, there are two possible explanations for the supernova's brightness, but both require the star in question to have been at least a hundred times as massive as the sun. Although the supernova is brighter than [[w:SN 1987A|SN 1987A]], which was bright enough to be seen by the naked eye, SN 2006gy is too far away to be seen by the naked eye. 

== Similar stars close by ==
The star [[w:Eta Carinae|Eta Carinae]], which is in our galaxy, is similar in size to the star which became SN 2006gy. It is possible that Eta Carinae could supernova in a similar fashion. Dave Pooley, one of the discoverers of SN 2006gy said that if Eta Carinae exploded in a similar fashion, it would be bright enough that one could read by its light. However, Pooley estimates the likelihood of the star exploding soon is small and estimates that, even if it did explode, the risk to life on earth would be minimal. 

==Sources==
{{wikipediapars|[[w:SN 2006gy|SN 2006gy]] and [[w:Supernova|Supernova]]}}
*{{source|url=http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070507_brighest_sn.html
|title=Astronomers Astonished by 'Monstrous' Star Explosion
|author=Ker Than
|pub=Space.com
|date=May 8, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6633609.stm
|title=Star dies in monstrous explosion
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=May 8, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/05/07_supernova.shtml
|title=Largest, brightest supernova discovered
|author=Robert Sanders
|pub=Berkeley University
|date=May 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.com.com/Megastar+explodes+in+brightest+supernova+ever+seen/2100-11397_3-6181997.html
|title=Megastar explodes in brightest supernova ever seen
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=May 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=
http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2007/05/07/most-powerful-supernova-ever-observed-may-be-the-first-of-its-kind-ever-seen 
|title=Most powerful supernova ever observed may be the first of its kind ever seen
|author=John Timmer  
|pub=Reuters
|date=May 7, 2007}}
*{{source|url=
http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2006astro.ph.12617S&amp;db_key=PRE&amp;data_type=HTML&amp;format=&amp;high=45ba3a9f6d12921
|title=SN 2006gy: Discovery of the most luminous supernova ever recorded, powered by the death of an extremely massive star like Eta Carinae
|author=Nathan Smith, et al.  
|pub=arXiv
|date=May 7, 2007}}
*{{source-pr|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/may/HQ_07102_Chandra_Supernova.html
|title=NASA's Chandra Sees Brightest Supernova Ever
|pub=NASA
|date=May 7, 2007}}

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[[pl:SN 2006gy: największy wybuch supernowej]]


</noinclude>
According to observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes, the supernova SN 2006gy is the brightest and most energetic stellar explosion ever recorded.  SN 2006gy was the brightest and largest supernova ever discovered, scientists announced. The star was in the NGC 1260 galaxy, in the same direction as the constellation Perseus and may be a type of supernova previously predicted by theory but not observed. The conclusion was reached after extended observations of the supernova by both optical telescopes and X-ray telescopy. Currently, there are two possible explanations for the supernova's brightness, but both require the star in question to have been at least a hundred times as massive as the sun. Although the supernova is brighter than SN 1987A, which was bright enough to be seen by the naked eye, SN 2006gy is too far away to be seen by the naked eye. 


pl:SN 2006gy: największy wybuch supernowej
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