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

Possible supernova

type

Notes
R. A. Dec.
IK Pegasi 21h 26m 26.7s +19° 22′ 32″ Pegasus 154.4±1.0[4] A8m:/DA Ia
Spica 13h 25m 11.6s −11° 09′ 40.8″ Virgo 250+14
−13[5] 		B1 [6]
Acrux 12h 26m 35.9s –63° 05′ 56″ Crux 320±20[5] B0.5 IV II [7]
Alpha-2 Crucis 12h 26m 36.4s –63° 05′ 58″ Crux 320±20[5] B1 V II [7]
Zeta Ophiuchi 16h 37m 09.5s −10° 34′ 02″ Ophiuchus 365±6.52[1] O9.5V [6]
Betelgeuse 05h 55m 10.3s +07° 24′ 25″ Orion ~400–500[8] M2Iab IIP [9]
Alpha Lupi 14h 41m 55.8s –47° 23′ 17″ Lupus 465+12
−11[5] 		B1.5 II [6]
Antares 16h 29m 24.5s –26° 25′ 55″ Scorpius 554+113
−80[5] 		M1.5Iab-b IIP [6]
Pi Puppis 07h 17m 08.6s –37° 05′ 51″ Puppis 807+72
−61[5] 		K3 Ib II? [1][10]
S Monocerotis A 06h 40m 58.7s +09° 53′ 44″ Monoceros 920+150
−110[5] 		O7V II [1]
S Monocerotis B 06h 40m 58.7s +09° 53′ 44″ Monoceros 920+150
−110[5] 		O9.5V II [1]
Rigel 05h 14m 32.3s –08° 12′ 06″ Orion 1118+30
−28[4] 		B8Ia IIn(pec?) [11]
Gamma2 Velorum 08h 09m 32.0s −47° 20′ 12″ Vela 1120+130
−100[5] 		WC8 Ib/Ic [12][2]
Alnitak 05h 40m 45.5s −01° 56′ 34.3″ Orion 1260±180 O9.5Iab [13]
119 Tauri 05h 32m 12.8s +18° 35′ 40″ Taurus 1790+300
−220[5] 		M2Iab-Ib IIb [1][10]
Deneb 20h 41m 25.9s +45° 16′ 49″ Cygnus 2615±215[1] A2la IIL [1]
T Coronae Borealis 15h 59m 30.2s +25° 55′ 13″ Corona Borealis 2690+110
−100[4] 		M3III/D Ia [14]
KPD 1930+2752 19h 32m 14.9s +27° 58′ 35″ Cygnus 2860+130
−120[4] 		sdB/D Ia [nb 1][15][16]
Mu Cephei 21h 43m 30.5s +58° 46′ 48″ Cepheus 3060+456
−130[17] 		M2Ia IIn/IIb [18]
Rho Cassiopeiae 23h 54m 23.0s +57° 29′ 58″ Cassiopeia 3440+930
−610[4] 		G2Ia0e IIL [19]
VY Canis Majoris 07h 22m 58.3s −25° 46′ 03″ Canis Major 3930+420
−350[20] 		M5eIa II [9][21]
IRAS 17163-3907 17h 19m 49.3s −39° 10′ 37.9″ Scorpius 3930+990
−660[4] 		late B/early A II [22]
Wray 17-96 17h 41m 35.4s –30° 06′ 39″ Scorpius 3940+1110
−710[4] 		B3
VV Cephei A 21h 56m 39.1s +63° 37′ 32″ Cepheus 4900[23] M2Iab [1]
P Cygni 20h 17m 47.2s +38° 01′ 59″ Cygnus 5250±590[24] B1Ia+ IIb [25]
HD 168625 18h 21m 19.5s −16° 22′ 26″ Sagittarius 5250+600
−490[4] 		B6Ia II [26]
NML Cygni 20h 46m 25.6s +40° 06′ 59.4″ Cygnus 5250+420
−360[27] 		M6I II [28]
IRC +10420 19h 26m 48.1s +11° 21′ 17″ Aquila 5600+2200
−1200[4] 		F8Ia+ IIb [29][30]
WR 142 20h 21m 44.3s +37° 22′ 31″ Cygnus 5670+290
−270[4] 		WO2 Ib/Ic
WR 136 20h 12m 06.5s +38° 21′ 18″ Cygnus 6700+500
−430[4] 		WN6(h)-s Ic
RS Ophiuchi 17h 50m 13.2s –06° 42′ 28″ Ophiuchus 7380+1000
−790[4] 		M2III/D Ia
Eta Carinae 10h 45m 03.6s −59° 41′ 04″ Carina 8630+69
−68[4] 		LBV/O Ib [31][32]
WR 93b 17h 32m 03.3s −35° 04′ 32″ Scorpius 8700+1900
−1300[4] 		WO3 Ib/Ic
WR 102 17h 45m 47.5s −26° 10′ 27″ Sagittarius 9410+840
−710[4] 		WO2 Ib/Ic
HD 179821 19h 13m 58.6s +00° 07′ 32″ Aquila 10500+2100
−1500[4] 		G5Ia IIL [33][34]
T Pyxidis 09h 04m 41.5s −32° 22′ 48″ Pyxis 10700+1700
−1300[4] 		Ia [35][36]
WR 104 18h 02m 04.1s –23° 37′ 41″ Sagittarius 13400+9200
−3900[4] 		WC9d/OB Ib/Ic with Grb? [37][38]
V445 Puppis 07h 37m 56.9s –25° 56′ 59″ Puppis 16000+5200
−4600[39] 		Ia [40]
WR 30a 10h 51m 38.9s −60° 56′ 35.2″ Carina 38900+18500
−9500[4] 		WO4/O5((f))
U Scorpii 16h 22m 30.7s –17° 52′ 42″ Scorpius 39000[citation needed] Ia [41]
Sher 25 11h 15m 07.8s −61° 15′ 17″ Carina 43500+5200
−4200[4] 		B1.5Iab [42]
LMC195-1 05h 18m 10.3s −69° 13′ 03″ Dorado 160000[4] WO2 Ib/Ic
SMC AB8 01h 31m 04.1s −73° 25′ 04″ Hydrus 200000[4] WO4/O4 Ib/Ic
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