From SN 2010da to NGC 300 ULX-1: Ten Years of Observations of an Unusual High Mass X-Ray Binary in NGC 300

Abstract

In May 2010, an intermediate luminosity optical transient was discovered in the nearby galaxy NGC 300 by a South African amateur astronomer. In the decade since its discovery, multi-wavelength observations of the misnamed “SN 2010da” have continually reshaped our understanding of this high mass X-ray binary system. In this review, we present an overview of the multi-wavelength observations and attempt to understand the 2010 transient event, and later, the reclassification of this system as NGC 300 ULX-1: a red supergiant + neutron star ultraluminous X-ray source.

Keywords

• sn 2010da
• ngc 300 ulx-1
• supernova impostor
• high mass x-ray binary
• ultraluminous x-ray source
• neutron star
• multi-wavelength observations