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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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SN 2024abfl: A Quiet Supernova That Reveals How Smaller Giants Die

Supernovae are among the most powerful and dramatic events in the universe. When a massive star reaches the end of its life, it explodes with enormous energy, briefly shining brighter than an entire galaxy. However, not all supernovae are equally bright or violent. Some are surprisingly modest, almost quiet, yet scientifically very important.

One such event is SN 2024abfl, a recently discovered stellar explosion that has drawn the attention of astronomers worldwide. Detailed observations show that it belongs to a rare class known as low-luminosity Type IIP supernovae. Although faint compared to typical supernovae, SN 2024abfl provides valuable clues about how lower-mass giant stars end their lives.

This article explains the discovery, observations, and scientific importance of SN 2024abfl.

Discovering SN 2024abfl

SN 2024abfl was discovered in the nearby galaxy NGC 2146, a star-forming galaxy known for frequent stellar explosions. Soon after its discovery, an international team of astronomers began a detailed observation campaign using both photometry (measuring brightness) and spectroscopy (studying light split into colors).

Their results were published on February 4, 2026, on arXiv, allowing scientists around the world to examine and discuss the findings quickly.

From the start, astronomers noticed that SN 2024abfl behaved differently from typical supernovae, hinting that it might be a rare and unusual event.

What Is a Type IIP Supernova?

To understand SN 2024abfl, it helps to know what a Type IIP supernova is.

  • Type II supernovae come from massive stars that still have hydrogen in their outer layers.

  • The “P” in Type IIP stands for plateau.

After the explosion, the brightness of a Type IIP supernova remains almost constant for several months. This flat period, called the plateau phase, happens because the thick hydrogen envelope slowly releases energy as it cools and recombines.

SN 2024abfl clearly shows this plateau behavior, confirming its classification as a Type IIP supernova.

A Long Plateau, but Unusually Faint

One of the most striking features of SN 2024abfl is its long plateau phase, lasting about 126.5 days. This long duration suggests that the exploding star had a thick hydrogen envelope, which helped sustain the steady brightness for months.

However, despite this long plateau, the supernova was much dimmer than usual.

  • The plateau brightness was around −15 magnitudes.

  • Normal Type IIP supernovae often reach −16.5 to −17 magnitudes.

This makes SN 2024abfl a low-luminosity supernova—fainter, less energetic, but still following the same basic physical processes as brighter events.

Slower, Gentler Stellar Debris

Spectroscopic observations revealed another key difference. While the overall spectral evolution of SN 2024abfl looks similar to other Type IIP supernovae, the ejecta velocities—the speeds of material flying outward—are much lower.

This tells scientists that:

  • The explosion was less energetic

  • The star did not blast its outer layers away as violently as typical supernovae

Such slow-moving ejecta are a hallmark of low-luminosity supernovae and point toward a relatively small explosion energy.

Strange High-Velocity Features

Although SN 2024abfl is generally calm, it still shows moments of surprise.

About 37 days after the explosion, astronomers detected a high-velocity hydrogen-alpha absorption feature. This suggests that a plume or clump of material inside the ejecta was moving faster than the surrounding gas.

Later, about 24 days after that, two emission features appeared at velocities of around 2,000 km/s. These features are likely caused by the supernova material colliding with gas surrounding the star, known as the circumstellar medium.

These interactions tell us that the star lost some material before it exploded, possibly through strong stellar winds.

Entering the Nebular Phase

Around 138 days after the explosion, SN 2024abfl entered the nebular phase. At this stage:

  • The supernova becomes transparent

  • Astronomers can see deeper into the inner regions

  • Emission lines from heavy elements become visible

This phase provides crucial information about the core of the exploded star and the elements created during the explosion.

What the Explosion Reveals About the Star

By modeling the observations, astronomers were able to estimate several physical properties of SN 2024abfl and its progenitor star.

Key Findings

  • Nickel-56 mass: ~0.009 times the mass of the Sun
    (Very low, explaining the faint brightness)

  • Ejecta mass: ~8.3 solar masses

  • Explosion energy: ~42 quindecillion ergs
    (Much lower than typical core-collapse supernovae)

  • Progenitor radius: Nearly 1,000 times the Sun’s radius

These values clearly point to a red supergiant star as the progenitor. Red supergiants are huge, cool stars nearing the end of their lives.

A Low-Mass Red Supergiant’s Final Breath

The most important conclusion of the study is about the mass of the progenitor star.

The data strongly suggest that the star that exploded as SN 2024abfl had an initial mass of less than 15 times the mass of the Sun. This places it at the lower end of stars capable of producing core-collapse supernovae.

Such stars:

  • Explode weakly

  • Produce little radioactive material

  • Leave behind faint, long-lasting supernovae

SN 2024abfl fits perfectly into this picture.

Why SN 2024abfl Matters

Low-luminosity Type IIP supernovae are difficult to detect because they are faint. As a result, they are likely underrepresented in supernova surveys. Studying objects like SN 2024abfl helps astronomers:

  • Understand how lower-mass massive stars die

  • Improve models of stellar evolution

  • Learn how often weak supernovae occur in the universe

These quiet explosions may be far more common than previously thought.

Final Thoughts

SN 2024abfl may not be the brightest supernova ever observed, but it is scientifically rich. Its long plateau, slow ejecta, low energy, and red supergiant origin provide a clear example of how a relatively low-mass giant star ends its life.

By studying such faint cosmic events, astronomers gain a more complete picture of stellar death—one that includes not only spectacular explosions, but also gentle, fading farewells written across the stars.

Publication Reference
Xiaohan Chen et al., SN 2024abfl: A Low-Luminosity Type IIP Supernova in NGC 2146 from a Low-Mass Red Supergiant Progenitor, arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2602.04309

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