The Story About Caroline and SN2008ha.

How Caroline became the youngest
person to discover a supernova
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On November 13th 2008, Caroline Moore a member of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team was recognized by the International Astronomical Union for discovering a supernova. Their discovery has been named Supernova 2008ha in galaxy UGC 12682. And at the ripe old age of 14, Caroline has also been recognized as most likely the youngest person to discover a supernova.

It all came about at diner with Tim Puckett & Mike Peoples after the Friday’s opening of NEAIC 2008. Tim was telling us about the search team and the fact that the team had the youngest person to discover a SN her name was Jennifer and she was 16 ( it turns out she was 18 but Caroline did not know that until after her find ) Hearing that a 16 year old had found a supernova she pronounced “ I could beat her”. Timmy said it would take a lot of work, but if you think you’re up to it I’ll sign you up. So at the ripe old age of 13 Caroline started her hunt

That was the beginning of a long eight months. First she had to get a new computer and install all the software then work with Mike Peoples to learn how to get the data and what to do with it.

On November 6,2008 Caroline spotted something odd in one of the data files of distant galaxy UGC 12682, located in the constellation Pegasus. The image of the object was very faint but she noticed some pixels off to one side of the galaxy that made her suspicious, Caroline did all the checks and ran it through all the data basis. "I'm going to send it in. I think it's something," she told her Dad. It took couple nights until the team could get a confirmation image and it looked like her suspicions were confirmed. Team leader, Tim Puckett sent what’s called a CBAT ( Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams) It took more then a week before the professional astronomers could any thing with it, as you would have it the moon was up and right in Pegasus.

It was late around 11:30 pm on the night of the 18 of Nov. when the phone rang it was Mike Peoples, He told Bob, Caroline’s Dad he had to talk to her "We got confirmation and boy it’s a strange one," said Bob Moore. "I’ll have to drag her out of bed,” he did and handed her the phone. With he phone to her ear a smile came to her face and then she just started laughing.

Supernova 2008ha is in UGC 12682 a galaxy that is eating it self and where Supernovae normally do not occur that is one of the things the makes Caroline’s discovery unique some of the others are that it is a type 1a supernova and possibly the least luminous supernova ever observed.
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The Press Release
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The Puckett Observatory
SUPERNOVA SEARCH TEAM The Puckett Observatory
P.O. Box 818 Ellijay, GA.
30540 Press Release Contact: Robert E. Moore
Phone: (845) 231-0509 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11:00 P.M. EST, November 13, 2008
Rare supernova found by 14 year old amateur astronomer Ellikay, GA November 13, 2008, 3:00 P.M. EST

The International Astronomical Union, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. confirmed today the discovery of a supernova in galaxy UGC 12682. Supernova 2008ha was discovered by Caroline Moore a 14 year old girl from Warwick, NY. Moore is most likely the youngest person ever to have discovered a supernova.

Caroline is an active member of The Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team, a team of amateur astronomers that take thousands of images each night searching for rare events.

Moore is a member of the Rockland Astronomy Club, The Orange County Astronomical Association, and attends Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY.

Caroline is very active in helping young people understand the night sky by inviting guests to her families backyard observatory at her home in Warwick, NY.




The CBAT's
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C.B.A.T. #1
Electronic Telegram No. 1567
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html


SUPERNOVA 2008ha IN UGC 12682 T. Puckett, Ellijay, GA, U.S.A.; Caroline Moore, Warwick, NY, U.S.A.; and Jack
Newton, Portal, AZ, U.S.A., report the discovery of an apparent supernova
(mag 18.8) on unfiltered CCD images (limiting mag 19.4) taken with a 0.40-m
reflector at Portal on Nov. 7.17 UT in the course of the Puckett Observatory
Supernova Search. The new object was confirmed at mag 18.2 on images
(limiting mag 19.8) taken by Ton Orff on Nov. 9.16 with a 0.60-m reflector at
Ellijay. SN 2008ha is located at R.A. = 23h34m52s.69, Decl. = +18o13'35".4
(equinox 2000.0), which is about 12" west and 0".5 south of the center of
UGC 12682. Nothing is visible at this position on images taken by Puckett
on Sept. 8 (limiting mag 19.4). The exact center of the apparent host
galaxy was very hard to measure, so its coordinates were taken from the
Sinbad website (position end figures 53s.55, 35".9), though Puckett's
measurements on the brightest nodule yield position end figures 53s.31, 38".0.


NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

(C) Copyright 2008 CBAT
2008 November 10 (CBET 1567) Daniel W. E. Green


C.B.A.T. #2
Electronic Telegram No. 1576
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION
M.S. 18, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
IAUSUBS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or FAX 617-495-7231 (subscriptions)
CBAT@CFA.HARVARD.EDU (science)
URL http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html

SUPERNOVA 2008ha IN UGC 12682

R. J. Foley, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on
behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, reports that a spectrum (range 350-740 nm)
of 2008ha (cf. CBET 1567), obtained on Nov. 18.18 UT by N. Wright with the F.
L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST), shows it to be a type-Ia
supernova, similar to the peculiar supernova 2002cx (see Jha et Al. 2006,
A.J. 132, 189, for a review of this class of objects). The spectrum is
similar to SN 2002cx (Li et Al. 2003, PASP 115, 453) at 10 days past maximum
light -- but with a velocity about 3000 km/s lower. Puckett et Al. reported
that 2008ha brightened between Nov. 7 and 9 by 0.6 mag (CBET 1567), requiring
that the phase of the supernova at the time of this spectrum to be <9 days</B>
after maximum brightness. If the unfiltered light curve is similar to that
of the R-band light curve of SN 2002cx, the spectrum of 2008ha should be <
17 days past maximum in the B band, consistent with the phase estimate.
From the minimum of the weak absorption line corresponding to Fe II 455.5-nm,
a velocity of -3000 km/s is measured, significantly lower than that of SNe
2002cx and 2005hk (approximately -5000 km/s and constant for <60 days;
Phillips et al. 2007, PASP, 119, 360).
The spectrum does not have a red continuum, and there is no strong Na D
absorption in the spectrum, indicating that 2008ha is not heavily reddened.
Assuming (a) a distance modulus of 31.2 +/- 0.5 mag -- derived from a redshift
of 1393 km/s from Yu et al. (1993, Ap.J. Suppl. 88, 383), and allowing for
several flow models; (b) small Milky Way and host-galaxy extinction; and (c)
that the unfiltered magnitudes reported on CBET 1567 approximate those of the
R band, SN 2008ha had an absolute red magnitude of M_R = -13 +/- 1 at peak.
SNe 2002cx and 2005hk had M_R = -17.6 and -18.3 mag, respectively.
Considering the extremely low absolute magnitude and low ejecta velocity,
which imply a very low total energy release, Foley et al. wonder if 2008ha is
a true supernova that destroyed the progenitor star; if it is, then 2008ha is
possibly the least luminous supernova ever observed.

NOTE: These 'Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams' are sometimes
superseded by text appearing later in the printed IAU Circulars.

New paragraph

On December 30th 2008
Caroline was recognized by the Town of Warwick
For her discovery
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On February 9th 2009
New York State Assemblywoman
Annie Rabbitt will called Caroline to the floor of the
New York State Assembly to receive a proclamation
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On February 9th 2009 Caroline did a live to tape interview at
National Public Radio Studios in Albany, New York
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Caroline appeared live on Fox News Channel 

Caroline makes first appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show
June 22 2009
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September 7 2009 Caroline recived a proclamation from New Yourk State Senate
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Caroline is invited to host the first ever star party at The White House
October 7 2009
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Caroline makes her 2nd appearance MSNBS's on The Rachel Maddow Show
October 8 2009
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Caroline to recive special award at
American Association of Variable Star Observers
(AAVSO) Fall Meeting
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This page last updated 10-26-09