You Go, Supernova Girl!

Caroline Moore, age 14, of Warwick, N.Y., really knows how to make waves. Light waves, that is. According to the National Science Foundation, Caroline is "the youngest person to discover a supernova, but this particular supernova has been identified as a different type of stellar explosion."

"It's really a strange supernova," Moore told the NSF. "A supernova is a huge explosion deep in the core of a star, whereas a nova is an explosion on the outside surface of a star."

OK, most of us will have to take your word for that. Caroline's supernova was given the rather bland name "2008ha." Honestly, can't scientists come up with better names, especially in this case? "Caroline's Awesome Stellar Bangup" might be a better. Probably the eggheads at the NSF won't go for that one.

"If you are interested in astronomy, I would say there is no need for you to go out and buy an expensive telescope or anything," Caroline told the NSF. "Just join a local astronomy club. If you have a pair of binoculars, that's a great way to start. If you have a telescope shoved inside your closet, take it out and start learning how to use it. Don't think you've got to learn to use it by yourself, there are lots of people who are willing to help."

News of her discovery will be published in the Astronomical Journal.

"Coincidentally, the youngest person to ever discover a supernova found one of the most peculiar and interesting supernovae ever," remarked Alex Filippenko, and NSF-funded supernovae expert, in an article on the website of The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

As it happens, 2009 is the "International Year of Astronomy," and Moore is working with the North Eastern Astronomy Forum (NEAF) — described as an "annual astronomy forum and telescope show" — to encourage other young people to look for things in the night sky.

"I work with NEAF and work with kids there; we teach them about astronomy and scientific experiments," Caroline told the NSF. "This year at NEAF our goal is to get 1,000 kids to come, and I'm hoping to make that possible," said Moore. "We really try to not get just kids involved, but the public involved in astronomy."

Photo courtesy of Robert E. Moore and the National Science Foundation.