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A peculiar supernova in the spiral galaxy NGC4618

Abstract

Optical spectra of a bright stellar object near the nucleus of the spiral galaxy NGC4618 reveal strong, very broad emission lines similar to those in quasars but having the wrong relative wavelengths. Although lines of hydrogen and helium are absent, the most prominent features can be attributed to neutral atoms of oxygen, sodium, and magnesium at the redshift of NGC4618. The object is almost certainly a supernova whose highly unusual spectrum may be indicative of a fundamentally new subclass.

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Filippenko, A., Sargent, W. A peculiar supernova in the spiral galaxy NGC4618. Nature 316, 407–412 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/316407a0

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