J/PASP/138/I4207 Supernova time-series photometry (Mogawana+, 2026)
Archival transients detected with the MeerLICHT telescope. I: Supernovae.
Mogawana O., Groot P.J., Blagorodnova N., Vreeswijk P.M., Pieterse D.L.A.,
Bloemen S., Leloudas G., Wijnands R.A.D., Buckley D.A.H., Woudt P.A.,
Fender R., Stappers B.W.
<Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac. 138, 094207 (2026)>
=2026PASP..138I4207M 2026PASP..138I4207M (SIMBAD/NED BibCode)
ADC_Keywords: Supernovae ; Photometry ; Optical
Keywords: supernovae - photometry - light curves
Abstract :
Wide-field optical transient surveys collectively discover ∼50
new transients per night, making rapid, multi-filter and/or
spectroscopic follow-up of all but the most exceptional events
unfeasible. Consequently, the (early) light-curve properties of most
supernovae (SNe), particularly sub-luminous events, are often poorly
characterised. Here, we showcase recovery of key parameters by
combining publicly available data from multiple, contemporaneous
surveys. We built a catalogue of 125 SNe by cross-matching the
MeerLICHT (ML) transient survey with the Transient Name Server list of
spectroscopically classified SNe detected between August 2017 and
October 2022. For a subset of 14 SNe with good multi-survey
photometric coverage, we combined ML-q, ZTF-g,r, and ATLAS-c,o data to
construct composite early-time light curves. We then applied an
expanding fireball (t^2) model to constrain their explosion dates and
rest-frame rise times. We find that this simple model provides a
reliable description for the early emission of most SNe in our sample
and successfully constrains their rise time, a key parameter for
characterising SN categories and probing progenitor origins. This
multi-survey approach, only using standard survey products, provides a
powerful method to characterise large numbers of SNe that would
otherwise be lost, a technique that will be essential for maximising
the scientific return from current and future surveys such as GOTO,
BlackGEM, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's LSST, and Global Open
Transient Telescope Array (GOTTA).
Description:
Table containing the multi-epoch light curves of supernovae detected
by MeerLICHT, and contemporaneosly observed by ZTF and ATLAS.
File Summary:
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FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
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ReadMe 80 . This file
sn.dat 44 14 Studied supernovae
photom.dat 124 8059 Supernova time-series photometry
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: sn.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 10 A10 --- ObjId Object designation / Supernova name
12- 26 F15.11 deg RAdeg Right Ascension (J2000)
28- 44 F17.13 deg DEdeg Declination (J2000)
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: photom.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 10 A10 --- ObjId Object designation / Supernova name
12- 26 F15.11 deg RAdeg Right Ascension (J2000)
28- 44 F17.13 deg DEdeg Declination (J2000)
46- 63 F18.12 d MJD Modified Julian Date
65 A1 --- Filter Passband / Filter name (g, r, i, q, c, o)
67- 94 F28.15 uJy Flux Measured flux density
96-124 F29.16 uJy e_Flux 1-sigma uncertainty on Flux
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Acknowledgements:
Orapeleng Mogawanam, orapeleng(at)saao.ac.za
License: CC-BY-4.0
(End) Patricia Vannier [CDS] 18-Aug-2026