M101 OT2015-1
Discovery image | |
| Event type | Luminous red nova |
|---|---|
| Date | February 10, 2015 |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension | 14h 02m 16.78s |
| Declination | +54° 26′ 20.5″ |
| Epoch | J2000 |
| Distance | 21 Mly |
| Host | Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) |
| Peak apparent magnitude | 16.5 |
| Other designations | AT 2015dl, PSN J14021678+5426205, iPTF13afz |
M101 OT2015-1 (also known as PSN J14021678+5426205, iPTF13afz and AT 2015dl) is a contact binary that merged into a single star, in a process known as a luminous red nova (LRN). M101 OT2015-1 is an optical transient located in the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101). Luminous red novae are representatives of the sparsely populated class of exploding variables which have been known since 1988, when such a star (M31-RV) appeared in the galaxy M31.