SN 2021afdx
Image of the host Cartwheel Galaxy | |
| Event type | Supernova |
|---|---|
| Type IIb | |
| Date | Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System |
| Instrument | 23 November 2021 |
| Constellation | Sculptor |
| Right ascension | 00h 37m 41.1368s |
| Declination | −33° 42′ 58.712″ |
| Epoch | J2000 |
| Distance | 500 Mly |
| Host | Cartwheel Galaxy |
| Progenitor type | Yellow Supergiant |
SN 2021afdx is a Type IIb supernova that exploded in the Cartwheel Galaxy, a ring galaxy located approximately 500 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. Discovered on 23 November 2021 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), it is one of the few supernovae observed in detail with both ground-based telescopes and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The event is notable for revealing an infrared echo from pre-existing circumstellar dust, providing key insights into dust production and heating mechanisms in core-collapse supernovae.