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arXiv · 2601.12094

Uncovering the Next Galactic Supernova with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

John Banovetz·Claire-Alice Hebert·Peter B. Denton·Dan Scolnic·Anze Slosar·Chris Walter
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Abstract

Supernovae are observed to occur approximately 1-2 times per century in a galaxy like the Milky Way. Based on historical records, however, the last core-collapse galactic supernova observed by humans occurred almost 1,000 years ago. Luckily, we are well positioned to catch the next one with the advent of new neutrino detectors and astronomical observatories. Neutrino observatories can provide unprecedented triggers for a galactic supernova event as they are likely to see a supernova neutrino signal anywhere from minutes to days before the shock breakout causes the supernova to brighten in optical wavelengths. Given its large etendue, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is ideally positioned to rapidly localize the optical counterpart based on the neutrino trigger. In this paper we simulate events to study the efficiency with which supernovae are optimally localized by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. We find that the observatory is ideal for initial localization of nearly all observable supernova triggers and has a 57-97% chance of catching any supernova based on theoretical stellar mass density predictions and observations. We provide an analysis of optimal filter selection and exposure times and discuss observational caveats.

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John Banovetz, Claire-Alice Hebert, Peter B. Denton, Dan Scolnic, Anze Slosar, Chris Walter. 2026-01-17. Uncovering the Next Galactic Supernova with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. https://doi.org/10.33232/001c.162454

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