An extraordinary stellar explosion has been detected in a distant galaxy, drawing astrophotographers and astronomers worldwide into a race to capture the event before it fades. Designated SN 2026aaiv, the supernova was initially spotted by the ATLAS survey on September 1 within NGC 7331, also known as Caldwell 30. This spiral galaxy resides approximately 45 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus, a region visible from the Northern Hemisphere and mid-latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere.
The appearance of this celestial phenomenon has made it a prime target for enthusiasts. Hundreds of images have already been captured, including one by Andrew McCarthy, who shared his results on Instagram on September 7. McCarthy, who was already engaged in a massive 100-hour imaging project involving NGC 7331, spent four hours collecting data around the time of the explosion. “As luck would have it, I happened to be in the middle of a massive project with this galaxy, and caught the supernova,” he wrote, predicting that his final composite image would be “EPIC.” Additionally, Tom Masterson, the Mountain Operations Manager at Mount Wilson Observatory, successfully imaged the supernova on September 10 using the facility’s 60-inch telescope.
As of September 11, 2026, SN 2026aaiv sits at magnitude 15.7. While this makes it relatively dim and significantly fainter than its host galaxy, which shines at magnitude 10, the object is currently in a phase of brightening. Many online images were produced using large professional or remote telescopes located in dark-sky environments. However, observers with more modest equipment still have a chance. A large telescope is recommended for visual observation; individuals have confirmed sightings using 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain instruments. Using the averted vision technique—looking slightly away from the galaxy’s core to utilize the eye’s more sensitive rod cells—may help reveal the faint detail.
For those seeking an easier approach, smart telescopes offer a viable solution. According to Seestar (Official ZWO Group), users of the Seestar S50 have managed to image the supernova using approximately two hours of 10-second exposures in default mode.
To locate SN 2026aaiv, observers should look toward the east after dusk. The target lies near the Great Square of Pegasus, marked by four bright stars forming a vast diamond shape. Specifically, NGC 7331 is situated near Scheat, located at the northwestern corner of the square, just above the dimmer star Matar. In areas with light pollution, only the galaxy’s bright central core will be visible, though the galaxy itself is seen partially edge-on, revealing spectacular swirling spiral arms.
SN 2026aaiv is classified as a Type Ia supernova, resulting from a catastrophic thermonuclear explosion. This occurs when a white dwarf in a binary system accumulates sufficient material from its companion star to trigger a runaway reaction, ultimately destroying the white dwarf. Notably, this is not the first Type Ia supernova observed in NGC 7331; another, named SN 2025rbs, was discovered in the same galaxy on July 14, 2025.
The host galaxy, NGC 7331, shares similarities with the Milky Way in terms of size, shape, and mass. First cataloged in 1784 by British astronomer William Herschel, who also discovered Uranus and its two largest moons, the galaxy has been studied extensively, including a notable image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2018. The coordinates for SN 2026aaiv are Right Ascension 22h 37m 05.618s and Declination +34° 24′ 35.37″.
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