World record for most supernova seen broken by amateur astronomer

The Daily Telegraph : Tom Boles, 65, has seen 125 exploding stars, more than anyone else. The previous record—set by Bulgarian-born professor Fritz Zwicky, who identified 123 exploding stars before his death in 1974—stood for 36 years.

His latest discoveries were made on August 20 when he spotted supernova number 124, or “2009i”’, followed by number 125 or “2009io” a few nights later, helping him to the record.The painstaking task, which took him 13 years, has earned him the respect of the professional science community.John Mason, from the British Astronomical Association, said Boles’s achievement was unparalleled in the history of the organization.