This is a list of supernova candidates, or stars that astronomers have suggested are supernova progenitors. Type II supernova progenitors include stars with at least 10 solar masses that are in the final stages of their evolution. Prominent examples of stars in this mass range include Antares, Spica,[1] Gamma Velorum,[2] Mu Cephei, and members of the Quintuplet Cluster.[3] Type Ia supernova progenitors are white dwarf stars that are close to the Chandrasekhar limit of about 1.44 solar masses and are accreting matter from a binary companion star.
The list includes massive Wolf–Rayet stars, which may become Type Ib/Ic supernovae, particularly oxygen-sequence stars. As of 2023, most of these candidates are in the Milky Way galaxy, however five oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet stars are also known in other galaxies.
Identifier | Epoch J2000 | Constellation | Distance (light years) |
Spectral class |
Possible supernova
type |
Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R. A. | Dec. | ||||||
IK Pegasi | 21h 26m 26.7s | +19° 22′ 32″ | Pegasus | 154.4±1.0[4] | A8m:/DA | Ia | [5][6][7] |
Spica | 13h 25m 11.6s | −11° 09′ 40.8″ | Virgo | 250+14 −13[8] |
B1 | [7] | |
Mimosa | 12h 47m 43.3s | -59h 41m 19.6s | Crux | 280 | B0.5III+B2V[9][10] | [11] | |
Acrux | 12h 26m 35.9s | -63h 05m 56.7s | Crux | 321[8] | B0.5IV+B1V[12] | [13] | |
Adhara | 06h 58m 37.6s | –28° 58′ 19″ | Canis Major | 430±30[14] | B2 II | [15] | |
Betelgeuse | 05h 55m 10.3s | +07° 24′ 25″ | Orion | 408[16]–548+90 −49[17] |
M2Iab | IIP | [1][18][7] |
Alpha Lupi | 14h 41m 55.8s | –47° 23′ 17″ | Lupus | 465+12 −11[8] |
B1.5 | II | [19][7] |
Mirzam | 06h 22m 42.0s | –17° 57′ 21″ | Canis Major | 490±20[20] | B1 III | [21] | |
Lambda Velorum | 09h 07m 59.8s | −43° 25′ 57.3″ | Vela | 545 ± 10[8] | K4Ib | Electron capture | [22] |
Antares | 16h 29m 24.5s | –26° 25′ 55″ | Scorpius | 554+113 −80[8] |
M1.5Iab-b | IIP | [23][7] |
Rigel | 05h 14m 32.3s | –08° 12′ 06″ | Orion | 863±78[8] | B8Ia | IIn(pec?) | [24][7] |
Gamma2 Velorum | 08h 09m 32.0s | −47° 20′ 12″ | Vela | 1120+130 −100[8] |
WC8+O7.5III | Ib/Ic | [25] |
Delta Canis Majoris | 07h 08m 23.5s | −26° 23′ 35.5″ | Canis Major | 1600 | F8Ia | [26] | |
119 Tauri | 05h 32m 12.8s | +18° 35′ 40″ | Taurus | 1790+300 −220[27] |
M2Iab-Ib | [28] | |
Deneb | 20h 41m 25.9s | +45° 16′ 49″ | Cygnus | 2615 ± 215[29] | A2la | Ib/Ic | [30] |
T Coronae Borealis | 15h 59m 30.2s | +25° 55′ 13″ | Corona Borealis | 2690+110 −100[4] |
M3III/D | Ia | [31] |
KPD 1930+2752 | 19h 32m 14.9s | +27° 58′ 35″ | Cygnus | 2860+130 −120[4] |
sdB/D | Ia | [32][33] |
Mu Cephei | 21h 43m 30.5s | +58° 46′ 48″ | Cepheus | 3060+456 −130[34] |
M2Ia | IIn/IIb | [35] |
Rho Cassiopeiae | 23h 54m 23.0s | +57° 29′ 58″ | Cassiopeia | 3440+930 −610[4] |
G2Ia0e | IIL | [36] |
VY Canis Majoris | 07h 22m 58.3s | −25° 46′ 03″ | Canis Major | 3930+420 −350[37] |
M5eIa | II | [18][38] |
IRAS 17163-3907 | 17h 19m 49.3s | −39° 10′ 37.9″ | Scorpius | 3930+990 −660[4] |
late B/early A | II | [39] |
VV Cephei | 21h 56m 39.1s | +63° 37′ 32″ | Cepheus | 4900[40] | M2Iab | [41] | |
HD 168625 | 18h 21m 19.5s | −16° 22′ 26″ | Sagittarius | 5250+600 −490[4] |
B6Ia | II | [42] |
NML Cygni | 20h 46m 25.6s | +40° 06′ 59.4″ | Cygnus | 5250+420 −360[43] |
M6I | II | [44] |
WR 142 | 20h 21m 44.34s | +37° 22′ 30.4″ | Cygnus | 5380 | WO2 | Ic, Grb likely | |
IRC +10420 | 19h 26m 48.1s | +11° 21′ 17″ | Aquila | 5600+2200 −1200[4] |
F8Ia+ | IIb | [45][46] |
RS Ophiuchi | 17h 50m 13.2s | –06° 42′ 28″ | Ophiuchus | 7380+1000 −790[4] |
M2III/D | Ia | [47][48] |
WR 93b | 17h 32m 03.31s | –35° 04′ 32.7″ | Scorpius | 7470 | WO3 | Ic | |
WR 2 | 01h 05m 23.03s | +60° 25′ 18.9″ | Cassiopeia | 7830 | WN2-w | Ib/Ic, Grb likely | |
WR 102 | 17h 45m 47.54s | –26° 10′ 26.8″ | Sagittarius | 8610 | WO2 | Ic | |
Eta Carinae | 10h 45m 03.6s | −59° 41′ 04″ | Carina | 8630+69 −68[4] |
LBV/O | Ib, SLSN likely | [49][50] |
HD 179821 | 19h 13m 58.6s | +00° 07′ 32″ | Aquila | 10500+2100 −1500[4] |
G5Ia | IIL | [51][52] |
T Pyxidis | 09h 04m 41.5s | −32° 22′ 48″ | Pyxis | 10700+1700 −1300[4] |
Ia | [53][54] | |
WR 104 | 18h 02m 04.1s | –23° 37′ 41″ | Sagittarius | 13400+9200 −3900[4] |
WC9d/OB | Ib/Ic with Grb? | [55][56] |
V445 Puppis | 07h 37m 56.9s | –25° 56′ 59″ | Puppis | 16000+5200 −4600[57] |
Ia | [58] | |
WR 38 | 11h 05m 46.43s | −61° 13′ 48.6″ | Carina | 19 700 | WC4 | Ic | |
WR 30a | 10h 51m 38.89s | −60° 56′ 34.9″ | Carina | 21 900 | WO4+O5-5.5 | Ic | |
Sher 25 | 11h 15m 07.8s | −61° 15′ 17″ | Carina | 43500+5200 −4200[4] |
B1.5Iab | [59] | |
U Scorpii | 16h 22m 30.7s | –17° 52′ 42″ | Scorpius | 64000+68000 −17000[60] |
Ia | [61] |