A year on with the ALPY 200 spectrograph – now down to mag 17.5

Forums Variable Stars spectrum of sn2014AS (was PSN J14005449+4058596) A year on with the ALPY 200 spectrograph – now down to mag 17.5

#576859
Robin Leadbeater
Participant

I have been runnng with my “ALPY 200” low resolution  faint object spectrograph configuration again over the past few weeks and have been able to work my way down about a mag fainter to around  17.5.

http://www.threehillsobservatory.co.uk/astro/spectra_46.htm

I recorded the spectra of these two supernovae (asassn-15fa and asassn_15fz) a few weeks after discovery so they have evolved significantly compared the original spectra taken soon after they were discovered. The match with spectra of supernovae at a similar age is still clear though.

The supernova contribution is already much lower than the sky background which is significantly limiting the signal/noise.  I am not sure if more aperture or  darker skies will be needed to go much lower, probably a combination of both.

Robin