Supernovae in Messier catalog galaxies

Supernovae which have been observed in Messier catalog galaxies

While exactly one Messier object (the Crab Nebula M1) is the remnant of a supernova explosion, and one of few observed in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, in pre-telescopic times, supernovae have occurred and been observed in more than half of the 40 galaxies in the modern Messier catalog. At the time of this writing (March 2012), we have two holders of the record of the Messier galaxies, M61 and M83: These two galaxies have produced probably 6 observed supernovae; this is three SNe less than for the absolute record held by NGC 6946, which has produced 9 observed supernovae.

As of the time of this writing (April 2013), the total number of supernovae discovered in Messier's galaxies has reached 55 (with one to two questionable), plus one non-SN former candidate (1986D in M82). Supernovae have occurred in 26 of the 40 galaxies (65%). Each of the "surplus" galaxies M51B (NGC 5195) and M109B (NGC 3953) would add one more.

M31 (1): 1885A
M32 (0)
M33 (0)
M49 (1?): 1969Q?
M51 (3): 1994I, 2005cs, 2011dh
M51B (NGC 5195) (1): 1945A
M58 (2): 1988A, 1989M
M59 (1): 1939B
M60 (1): 2004W
M61 (6): 1926A, 1961I, 1964F, 1999gn, 2006ov, 2008in
M63 (1): 1971I
M64 (0)
M65 (1): 2013am
M66 (4): 1973R, 1989B, 1997bs, 2009hd
M74 (2): 2002ap, 2003gd
M77 (0)
M81 (1): 1993J
M82 (3?): 2004am, 2008iz, poss. 2009?
M83 (6): 1923A, 1945B, 1950B, 1957D, 1968L, 1983N
M84 (2): 1957B, 1980I, 1991bg
M85 (1): 1960R
M86 (0)
M87 (1): 1919A
M88 (1): 1999cl
M89 (0)
M90 (0)
M91 (0)
M94 (0)
M95 (1): 2012aw
M96 (1): 1998bu
M98 (0)
M99 (3): 1967H, 1972Q, 1986I
M100 (5): 1901B, 1914A, 1959E, 1979C, 2006X
M101 (4): 1909A, 1951H, 1970G, 2011fe
M102 (NGC 5866) (0)
M104 (0)
M105 (0)
M106 (1): 1981K
M108 (1): 1969B
M109 (NGC 3992) (1): 1956A
M109B (NGC 3953) (2): 2001dp, 2006bp
M110 (0)

Ranking:

6 supernovae: M83, M61
5 supernovae: M100
4 supernovae: M66, M101
3 supernovae: M99, M84, M51
2 supernovae: M58, M109B (NGC 3953), M74, M82
1 supernova: M31, M87, M59, M51B (NGC 5195), M109 (NGC 3992), M85, M108, M49, M63, M106, M81, M96, M88, M60, M95, M65
No supernova: M32, M33, M64, M77, M86, M89, M90, M91, M94, M98, M102 (NGC 5866), M104, M105, M110

Also note our Supernovae in Messier Galaxies page, which lists the supernovae by time of occurrance, and gives some more information on them.

Supernovae which have been observed in Messier catalog galaxies

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