Supernova 1998aq in NGC 3982

[PNG image]

This image of NGC3982 and supernova 1998aq was obtained by Håkon Dahle using the 2048x2048 ALFOSC CCD camera (with a thinned Loral chip) at the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma. It is a composite color image made from 9 V and I-band exposures of varying exposure times taken on 1998 April 22, 23 and 24 UT. North is up, and East to the left; the f.o.v. is 194"x194". Supernova 1998aq was still in its rising phase when the exposures were taken, and it is visible as a bright blue object to the upper right of the galaxy nucleus. The images have been logarithmically scaled.