Starlight from a distant cosmic explosion will reach Earth twice more around the year 2100 after a foreground galaxy cluster bends the radiation along varying cosmic routes, Scinexx reported.
Only one image of the supernova itself is currently visible to astronomers. Calculations by a research team indicate that subsequent light paths will deliver two later appearances that have not yet arrived at Earth.
Additional observations with the Webb Space Telescope reveal characteristic hydrogen and helium lines in the spectra. These features point to a Type IIb core-collapse supernova, where a massive star shed most of its outer hydrogen envelope prior to exploding.
“Strong gravitational lenses turn galaxy clusters into nature’s most powerful telescopes,” said Seiji Fujimoto of the University of Toronto.
With a redshift of z = 1.276, SN Ares ranks as the most distant spectroscopically identified supernova of this class so far, according to the findings published as a scientific preprint on Oct. 23, 2026, which has not yet undergone peer review.
To forecast the arrival timeline, the team compared three independent models of mass distribution within the foreground cluster. The results do not overlap precisely, but they anticipate the two additional images roughly 70 to 79 years after the initial sighting.
One model calculates delays of about 70 and 73 years, while a second projects 72 and 77 years. A third model estimates approximately 76 and 79 years, meaning frequently cited figures of 73 and 76 years are not fixed observation dates.
Predicted arrival times also depend on the assumed rate of cosmic expansion. Relatively small alterations to this model value can shift calculated travel times by several years.
Future images might appear magnified by roughly fivefold and one-and-a-half-fold respectively. Whether researchers can actually detect them will depend on available telescopes and the accuracy of preceding model calculations.
Additional spectroscopic observations of the multiply imaged background objects are scheduled for early 2027. These evaluations aim to refine the lens models and narrow the time windows for the two remaining expected supernova images.
