Swift satellite catches first 'normal' supernova in the act of exploding

Annotated images show observations taken on Jan. 7 and Jan. 9, 2008. For Jan. 7, 2008: Scientists had planned on studying Supernova 2007uy in the galaxy NGC2770, which was already several weeks old when seen in this visual ultraviolet image taken on Jan. 7, 2008, by NASA's Swift satellite. A close-up, X-ray image of that supernova is below it. For Jan. 9, 2008: Seemingly out of nowhere, Supernova 2008D burst onto the scene on Jan. 9, 2008, as seen in ultraviolet images and X-ray images taken by NASA's Swift satellite, giving scientists the unique opportunity to witness the birth of a supernova. Images courtesy of NASA Swift Team