GRB 060218/SN 2006aj

Ic
Date	February 18, 2006
Constellation	Aries
Right ascension	03h 21m 39.71s
Declination	+16° 52′ 02.6″
Epoch	J2000
Galactic coordinates	166.9257 -32.8802
Distance	440,000,000 ly
Redshift	0.03342
Remnant	Unknown
Host	SDSS J032139.68+165201.7
Progenitor	Unknown
Progenitor type	Unknown
Colour (B-V)	Unknown
Notable features	Rare GRB+SN sequence.
Peak apparent magnitude	ca 17.8 (February 23)
Other designations	SN 2006aj, GRB 060218, GRB 060218A
[edit on Wikidata]

GRB 060218 (and SN 2006aj) was a gamma-ray burst (abbreviated as GRB) with unusual characteristics never seen before. This GRB was detected by the Swift satellite on February 18, 2006, and its name is derived from the date. It was located in the constellation Aries.

GRB 060218's duration (almost 2000 seconds) and its origin in a galaxy 440 million light years away are far longer and closer, respectively, than typical gamma-ray bursts seen before, and the burst was also considerably dimmer than average despite its close distance.

As of February 2006, the phenomenon was not yet well understood. However, an optical afterglow to the gamma-ray burst has been detected and is brightening, and some scientists believe that the appearance of a supernova (SN 2006aj) may be ongoing.^{[needs update]}

Four different groups of researchers, led by Sergio Campana, Elena Pian, Alicia Soderberg and Paolo Mazzali respectively, carried out the investigation of the phenomenon and presented their results in Nature on August 31, 2006.^[1] They found the strongest evidence yet that supernovae and GRBs might be linked, because GRB 060218 showed signs of both the GRB and the supernova. The exploding star is believed to have had the boundary mass (about 20 Solar masses) for supernovae to leave either a black hole or a neutron star after its explosion.^[2]

• Light curves and spectra Archived 2017-12-02 at the Wayback Machine on the Open Supernova Catalog Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine

Wikinews has related news:

• Astronomers witness supernova

• http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=19106^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060223_explosion.html
• http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1683_1.asp
• http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8776.html
• http://sabbe.fragzone.se/KPO/grb060218.htm
• YahooNews
• Finder Charts for GRB 060218 Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine shows the area of the sky prior to the incident.
• More NASA observational reports at the Burst Information (Current and Archives)
• Simbad
• Image SN 2006aj