The Jordanian Astronomical Society observed a newly discovered supernova, designated SN 2026aaiv, from Jordan’s skies on Saturday night. The stellar explosion appeared in the spiral galaxy NGC 7331 in the constellation Pegasus, about 40 million light-years from Earth.
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Jordanian Astronomical Society President Ammar Al-Sakaji said the observation came days after the supernova was discovered on September 1, 2026, through the ATLAS survey, when its apparent magnitude was around 17.3. Its brightness increased over the following days to nearly magnitude 14, making the image captured from Jordan a record of an early stage in the stellar explosion’s evolution.
Al-Sakaji explained that the change from magnitude 17.3 to around 14 represents an increase of approximately 21 times in apparent brightness. The astronomical magnitude scale is inverse and logarithmic, meaning that a lower magnitude number indicates greater brightness.
A supernova is a massive stellar explosion that causes a dramatic increase in a star’s brightness over a short period and releases enormous amounts of energy and material into space. Such explosions are among the brightest astronomical phenomena and can be observed from distances of millions of light-years.
Despite its significant increase in brightness, the supernova remains beyond the limit of naked-eye visibility, which is around magnitude 5 to 6 under ideal dark-sky conditions. Specialized telescopes and astronomical cameras are therefore required to observe it.
According to Al-Sakaji, the image captured from northern Amman does not show an explosion that occurred in the present day. Rather, it records an event that took place around 40 million years ago, with its light taking that long to reach Earth after traveling an estimated 378 million trillion kilometers.
SN 2026aaiv is classified as a Type Ia supernova, a thermonuclear explosion involving a white dwarf in a stellar system. Type Ia supernovae are scientifically important because they serve as “standard candles” for measuring vast cosmic distances.
Al-Sakaji noted that observations of this type of supernova played a pivotal role in the discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe and in confirming the concept of dark energy.
The host galaxy, NGC 7331, also known as Caldwell 30, is a galaxy similar to the Milky Way. It has previously hosted several supernovae, including SN 1959D, SN 2013bu and SN 2014C, as well as SN 2025rbs, which reached an apparent magnitude of around 11.9 in the summer of 2025 and was also documented by the Jordanian Astronomical Society.
The society said it will continue observing SN 2026aaiv over the coming nights to chart its light curve, monitor its progression toward peak brightness and subsequent fading, and contribute to the global scientific record of observations from around the world.
Source: Al Mamlaka
