The light curve and distance of Kepler supernova: news from four centuries ago

Abstract

We study the light curve of SN 1604 using the historical data collected at the time of observation of the outburst. Comparing the supernova with recent SNe Ia of various rates of decline after maximum light, we find that this event looks like a normal SNIa (stretch s close to 0.9: 0.9 \pm 0.13), a fact which is also favoured by the late light curve. The supernova is heavily obscured by 2.7 \pm 0.1 magnitudes in V. We obtain an estimate of the distance to the explosion with a value of d = 5 \pm 0.7 kpc. This can help to settle ongoing discussions on the distance to the supernova. It also shows that this supernova is of the same kind as those of the SNIa sets that we use for cosmology nowadays.

22 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables; submitted to the ApJ; comments welcome

References in corpus (2)

• A Deep Chandra Observation of Kepler's Supernova Remnant: A Type Ia Event with Circumstellar Interaction
• The Kinematics of Kepler's Supernova Remnant as revealed by Chandra

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• Spatially Resolved X-ray Spectroscopy of Kepler's Supernova Remnant: Distinct Properties of the Circumstellar Medium and the Ejecta
• An Ejecta Kinematics Study of Kepler's Supernova Remnant with High-Resolution $Chandra$ HETG Spectroscopy
• Evidence for gamma-ray emission from the remnant of Kepler's supernova based on deep H.E.S.S. observations
• Estimating Ejecta Mass Ratios in Kepler's SNR: Global X-Ray Spectral Analysis Including Suzaku Systematics and Emitting Volume Uncertainties
• The physics of asymmetric supernovae and supernovae remnants