Supernova Catalog

A supernova is a stellar explosion caused when the mass of a star's core exceeds the sustainable limit or when nuclear fusion produces more energy than the star can contain. The explosion emits massive amounts of energy. Supernovae are classified as cataclysmic variables, the majority of which are close binary systems. Supernovae show sudden, dramatic, and final magnitude increases of 20 magnitudes or more, compared to a regular nova, which typically brighten 7 to 16 magnitudes of the course of 1 to several hundred days.

The data collected below comes from multiple sources, although primary catalog is compiled leveraging IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. The Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) operates under the auspices of Commission 6 of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and is a nonprofit organization, with principal funding coming from subscriptions to the various services offered by the Bureau, and (during 2008-2010) also from the U.S. National Science Foundation.