List of supernova candidates

Map showing various supernova candidates, most of which are within one kiloparsec from the Solar System.[1]

This is a list of supernova candidates, or stars that are believed to soon become supernovae. Type II supernova progenitors include stars with at least 8~10 solar masses that are in the final stages of their evolution. Prominent examples of stars in this mass range include Antares, Spica, Gamma Velorum,[2] Mu Cephei, and members of the Quintuplet Cluster.[3] Type Ia supernova progenitors are white dwarf stars that are close to the Chandrasekhar limit of about 1.44 solar masses and are accreting matter from a binary companion star.

The list includes massive Wolf–Rayet stars, which may become Type Ib/Ic supernovae, particularly oxygen-sequence (Wolf-Rayet WO) stars. As of 2023, most of these candidates are in the Milky Way galaxy, however five oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet stars are also known in other galaxies.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Identifier Epoch J2000 Constellation Distance

(light years)

Spectral

class

Evolutionary stage Possible supernova

type

Notes
R. A. Dec.
IK Pegasi 21h 26m 26.7s +19° 22′ 32″ Pegasus 154.4±1.0[4] A8m:/DA White dwarf Ia
Spica 13h 25m 11.6s −11° 09′ 40.8″ Virgo 250+14
−13[5] 		B1 Subgiant [6]
Acrux 12h 26m 35.9s –63° 05′ 56″ Crux 320±20[5] B0.5 IV Main sequence (blue dwarf) II [7]
Alpha-2 Crucis 12h 26m 36.4s –63° 05′ 58″ Crux 320±20[5] B1 V Main sequence (blue dwarf) II [7]
Zeta Ophiuchi 16h 37m 09.5s −10° 34′ 02″ Ophiuchus 365±6.52[1] O9.5V Main sequence (blue dwarf) [1]
Betelgeuse 05h 55m 10.3s +07° 24′ 25″ Orion ~400–500[8] M2Iab Red supergiant IIP [9]
Alpha Lupi 14h 41m 55.8s –47° 23′ 17″ Lupus 465+12
−11[5] 		B1.5 Blue giant II [6]
Antares 16h 29m 24.5s –26° 25′ 55″ Scorpius 554+113
−80[5] 		M1.5Iab-b Red supergiant IIP [6]
Pi Puppis 07h 17m 08.6s –37° 05′ 51″ Puppis 807+72
−61[5] 		K3 Ib Red supergiant II? [1][10]
S Monocerotis A 06h 40m 58.7s +09° 53′ 44″ Monoceros 920+150
−110[5] 		O7V Main sequence (blue dwarf) II [1]
S Monocerotis B 06h 40m 58.7s +09° 53′ 44″ Monoceros 920+150
−110[5] 		O9.5V Main sequence (blue dwarf) II [1]
Rigel 05h 14m 32.3s –08° 12′ 06″ Orion 1118+30
−28[4] 		B8Ia Blue supergiant IIn(pec?) [11]
Gamma2 Velorum 08h 09m 32.0s −47° 20′ 12″ Vela 1120+130
−100[5] 		WC8 Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic [12][2]
Alnitak 05h 40m 45.5s −01° 56′ 34.3″ Orion 1260±180 O9.5Iab Blue supergiant [13]
119 Tauri 05h 32m 12.8s +18° 35′ 40″ Taurus 1790+300
−220[5] 		M2Iab-Ib Red supergiant IIb [1][10]
Deneb 20h 41m 25.9s +45° 16′ 49″ Cygnus 2615±215[1] A2la Blue supergiant IIL [1]
T Coronae Borealis 15h 59m 30.2s +25° 55′ 13″ Corona Borealis 2690+110
−100[4] 		M3III/D White dwarf Ia [14]
KPD 1930+2752 19h 32m 14.9s +27° 58′ 35″ Cygnus 2860+130
−120[4] 		sdB/D White dwarf Ia [nb 1][15][16]
Mu Cephei 21h 43m 30.5s +58° 46′ 48″ Cepheus 3060+456
−130[17] 		M2Ia Red hypergiant IIn/IIb [18]
Rho Cassiopeiae 23h 54m 23.0s +57° 29′ 58″ Cassiopeia 3440+930
−610[4] 		G2Ia0e Yellow hypergiant IIL [19]
VY Canis Majoris 07h 22m 58.3s −25° 46′ 03″ Canis Major 3930+420
−350[20] 		M5eIa Red hypergiant II [9][21]
IRAS 17163-3907 17h 19m 49.3s −39° 10′ 37.9″ Scorpius 3930+990
−660[4] 		late B/early A Yellow hypergiant II [22]
Wray 17-96 17h 41m 35.4s –30° 06′ 39″ Scorpius 3940+1110
−710[4] 		B3 Luminous blue variable
VV Cephei A 21h 56m 39.1s +63° 37′ 32″ Cepheus 4900[23] M2Iab Red hypergiant [1]
P Cygni 20h 17m 47.2s +38° 01′ 59″ Cygnus 5250±590[24] B1Ia+ Luminous blue variable IIb [25]
HD 168625 18h 21m 19.5s −16° 22′ 26″ Sagittarius 5250+600
−490[4] 		B6Ia Luminous blue variable II [26]
NML Cygni 20h 46m 25.6s +40° 06′ 59.4″ Cygnus 5250+420
−360[27] 		M6I Red hypergiant II [28]
IRC +10420 19h 26m 48.1s +11° 21′ 17″ Aquila 5600+2200
−1200[4] 		F8Ia+ Yellow hypergiant IIb [29][30]
WR 142 20h 21m 44.3s +37° 22′ 31″ Cygnus 5670+290
−270[4] 		WO2 Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic
WR 136 20h 12m 06.5s +38° 21′ 18″ Cygnus 6700+500
−430[4] 		WN6(h)-s Wolf–Rayet star Ic
RS Ophiuchi 17h 50m 13.2s –06° 42′ 28″ Ophiuchus 7380+1000
−790[4] 		M2III/D White dwarf Ia
Eta Carinae 10h 45m 03.6s −59° 41′ 04″ Carina 8630+69
−68[4] 		LBV/O Luminous blue variable Ib [31][32]
WR 93b 17h 32m 03.3s −35° 04′ 32″ Scorpius 8700+1900
−1300[4] 		WO3 Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic
WR 102 17h 45m 47.5s −26° 10′ 27″ Sagittarius 9410+840
−710[4] 		WO2 Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic
HD 179821 19h 13m 58.6s +00° 07′ 32″ Aquila 10500+2100
−1500[4] 		G5Ia Yellow hypergiant IIL [33][34]
T Pyxidis 09h 04m 41.5s −32° 22′ 48″ Pyxis 10700+1700
−1300[4] 		White dwarf Ia [35][36]
WR 104 18h 02m 04.1s –23° 37′ 41″ Sagittarius 13400+9200
−3900[4] 		WC9d/OB Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic with Grb? [37][38]
V445 Puppis 07h 37m 56.9s –25° 56′ 59″ Puppis 16000+5200
−4600[39] 		White dwarf Ia [40]
WR 30a 10h 51m 38.9s −60° 56′ 35.2″ Carina 38900+18500
−9500[4] 		WO4/O5((f)) Wolf–Rayet star
Sher 25 11h 15m 07.8s −61° 15′ 17″ Carina 43500+5200
−4200[4] 		B1.5Iab Blue supergiant [41]
U Scorpii 16h 22m 30.7s –17° 52′ 42″ Scorpius 63900+68500
−17300[42] 		White dwarf Ia [43]
LMC195-1 05h 18m 10.3s −69° 13′ 03″ Dorado 160000[4] WO2 Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic
S Doradus 05h 18m 14.4s −69° 15′ 01″ Dorado 169000 LBV Luminous blue variable [44]
SMC AB8 01h 31m 04.1s −73° 25′ 04″ Hydrus 200000[4] WO4/O4 Wolf–Rayet star Ib/Ic
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