Teen Girl Discovers Rare Supernova

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Not only did 14-year-old Caroline Moore discover a supernova, making her the youngest person ever to do so, but according to Science Daily , scientists have determined that the one she discovered is a new and extremely rare type of supernova.

A supernova occurs when a star explodes, releasing massive amounts of light and radiation. Upstate New York resident Moore discovered hers using a consumer-grade telescope in November 2008. The supernova was 70 million light years away from earth, and 25 million times brighter than the sun. Scientists dubbed it SN 2008ha, and further research determined that it may be the weakest supernova ever seen.

"From one perspective, this supernova was an underachiever," said researcher Ryan Foley of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "However you still wouldn't want be anywhere near the star when it exploded." Due to its low energy level, SN 2008ha is believed to be a "failed supernova," in which the explosion was unable to destroy the entire star.

"Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever," said Alex Filippenko, leader of the University of California, Berkeley supernova group. "This shows that no matter what your age, anyone can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the Universe."

Despite Moore's historic discovery, James Austin of the Science Career Blog observed that she is not listed as a co-author or acknowledged in the paper published by Foley and colleagues on SN 2008ha. "I know all the arguments about making an 'intellectual contribution' and all that," Austin wrote. "But if she hadn't been in her backyard with a telescope for the sheer love of it and curiosity, the careers of those nine professional scientists would never have benefited from this discovery. When the curiosity-driven backyard research of a 14-year-old girl yields a major scientific discovery, and her contribution is not even acknowledged in the paper that results, the professionalization of science has gone much too far."