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Astrophysics

Discovery and Analysis of a Type II Supernova Candidate at z = 3.19 from JWST's COSMOS-Web Survey

Valeria Aparicio, David O. Jones

Featured June 3, 2026

Original Paper

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Simply

Scientists used a powerful space telescope to find a rare, very distant exploding star, classifying it as a Type II supernova in a small, young galaxy with few heavy elements, showing how early stars died.

In depth
The paper reports the discovery and detailed analysis of SN 2023aeaf, a Type II supernova candidate at an exceptionally high redshift (), leveraging the James Webb Space Telescope's capabilities. The authors classify the supernova using Bayesian photometric fitting and characterize its host galaxy's properties, revealing a low-mass, metal-poor, star-forming environment, and model the progenitor, suggesting interaction with dense circumstellar material.

Key Takeaways

  • 1
    JWST enabled the discovery of SN 2023aeaf, one of the highest-redshift Type II supernovae () observed to date.
  • 2
    The supernova was photometrically classified using STARDUST2 and confirmed by comparing its UV-optical color evolution to local Swift observations.
  • 3
    Its host galaxy is a low-mass, metal-poor, star-forming galaxy, consistent with expectations for massive star explosions in the early universe.

Conceptual Flow

HIGH LEVEL
1
Methodology: Unveiling Distant Supernovae

Scientists use a powerful space telescope to spot a bright, exploding star far away, then use different light measurements to figure out what kind of explosion it was and what its home galaxy is like.

Distant Sky Images
Light Brightness Data
Light Color Data
Analyze & Model
Explosion Type
Galaxy Properties
2
Results: A Young, Metal-Poor Cosmic Explosion

They found a rare, very distant exploding star that was a Type II supernova, happening in a small, young galaxy with few heavy elements, showing how early stars exploded.

Explosion Type: Type II
Galaxy: Small & Young
Galaxy: Low Metals
Reveals
Early Universe Star Death
Dense Gas Around Star