A star in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy has exploded spectacularly into a supernova, dubbed SN 2023ixf. It is the brightest in a decade and has sprung astronomers around the world into a frenzy. Science in Action hears from both amateur and professional astronomers alike as they scramble to collect exciting new images and data.

Back on the ground, we hear from the Professor of Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter, Tim Lenton about his new paper highlighting how rising global temperatures could push human populations from their homes.

Contributors

Dan Milisavljevic, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University.
Dr Jane Clark, Trustee of the Cardiff Astronomical Society
Bronco Oostermeyer, amateur astronomer
Raffaella Margutti, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley
Erez Zimmerman, Astrophysics PhD student, Weizmann institute of science
Professor Avishay Gal-Yam, Head of Experimental Astrophisics Group, Weizmann institute of science
Professor Tim Lenton, Director of the Global Systems Institute and Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter

Image: Supernova SN 2023ixf
Credit: Dr Jane Clark and The Cardiff Astronomical Society

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Ella Hubber