The Pan-STARRS1 and Pan-STARRS2 telescopes are seen atop Haleakala. The telescopes surveyed the sky every three days for about three years and discovered thousands of new cosmic explosions. Seeing how exploding stars and other objects change over time can help scientists learn more about the universe. JASON CHU photo

The Maui News

Scientists have compiled the largest catalog of exploding stars out of three years of data from the Pan-STARRS telescopes atop Haleakala.

The project, which began in 2019, surveyed more than 1,500 square degrees of sky every three days and discovered thousands of new cosmic explosions and other astrophysical transients — events in space that last for a limited amount of time — with dozens of them sighted just days or hours after exploding, according to a University of Hawaii news release Wednesday.

The newly released data contains information on nearly 2,000 supernovae and other luminous variable objects with observations in multiple colors. It is also the first to extensively use multicolor imaging to classify the supernovae and estimate their distances.

A supernova is the powerful explosion of a star that happens when the core of the star changes, according to NASA. It burns for only a short period of time but can help offer insights about the universe.

Exploding stars, mysterious objects that suddenly brighten and other phenomena in the sky that change over time are a new frontier in astronomical research, with telescopes now able to rapidly survey the sky and reveal thousands of these objects.

“Pan-STARRS produces a steady stream of transient discoveries, observing large areas of the sky every clear night with two telescopes,” said Mark Huber, a senior researcher at UH’s Institute for Astronomy, which operates Pan-STARRS. “With over a decade of observations, Pan-STARRS operates one of the best calibrated systems in astronomy, with a detailed reference image of the static sky visible from Haleakala. This enables rapid discovery and follow-up of supernovae and other transient events, well suited for programs like YSE (Young Supernova Experiment) to build up the sample required for analysis and this significant data release.”

Astrophysicists use large imaging surveys — systematic studies of large areas of the sky over time — and different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum for many scientific goals. Some are used to study distant galaxies and how they evolve over cosmic time, or look at specific regions of the sky that are especially important, such as the Andromeda Galaxy.

The Young Supernova Experiment is designed to find energetic astrophysical transient sources such as supernovae, tidal disruption events and kilonovae, which are extremely energetic explosions. These transients evolve quickly, rising to their maximum brightness and then fading away after a few days or months.

Ken Chambers, Pan-STARRS director, added that “this collaboration with the Young Supernova Experiment makes exceptional use of Pan-STARRS’ ability to routinely survey the sky for transient phenomena and moving objects.”

“We have provided an unprecedented sample of young supernovae discovered before their peak luminosity that will be an important resource for supernova researchers and cosmologists for many years,” Chambers said. “Looking ahead, Pan-STARRS will remain a crucial resource in the Northern Hemisphere to complement the Rubin Observatory in the Southern Hemisphere.”

For more information on the Young Supernova Experiment, visit yse.ucsc.edu. To view the exploding star catalog in depth, visit zenodo .org/record/7317476#.ZBPA9R_MKM9.