Type 1a supernovae are extremely consistent astronomical events used as standard candles.
State the peak absolute magnitude of a typical Type 1a supernova and describe the characteristic shape of its light curve, referencing the typical timescale in days.
The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) is approximately 8.4×105 pc8.4 \times 10^5\text{ pc}8.4×105 pc from Earth. Deduce whether a Type 1a supernova that occurs in this galaxy can be observed from Earth with the naked eye, assuming a naked-eye limiting magnitude of +6.0+6.0+6.0.
18 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Physics Classification of stars (A-level only), covering Classification by luminosity (A-level only), Absolute magnitude, *M* (A-level only), Classification by temperature, black-body radiation (A-level only), Principles of the use of stellar spectral classes (A-level only), The Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram (A-level only), and Supernovae, neutron stars and black holes (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.