# List of supernova candidates

This is a list of supernova candidates, or stars that are believed to soon become supernovae. Type II supernova progenitors include stars with at least 8~10 solar masses that are in the final stages of their evolution. Prominent examples of stars in this mass range include Antares, Spica, Gamma Velorum, Mu Cephei, and members of the Quintuplet Cluster. Type Ia supernova progenitors are white dwarf stars that are close to the Chandrasekhar limit of about 1.44 solar masses and are accreting matter from a binary companion star.
The list includes massive Wolf–Rayet stars, which may become Type Ib/Ic supernovae, particularly oxygen-sequence (Wolf-Rayet WO) stars. As of 2023, most of these candidates are in the Milky Way galaxy, however five oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet stars are also known in other galaxies.
| Identifier | Epoch J2000 | Epoch J2000 | Constellation | Distance (light years) | Spectral class | Evolutionary stage | Possible supernova type | Notes |
| Identifier | R. A. | Dec. | Constellation | Distance (light years) | Spectral class | Evolutionary stage | Possible supernova type | Notes |
| IK Pegasi | 21$^h$ 26$^m$ 26.7$^s$ | +19° 22′ 32″ | Pegasus | 154.4±1.0 | A8m:/DA | White dwarf | Ia | |
| Spica | 13$^h$ 25$^m$ 11.6$^s$ | −11° 09′ 40.8″ | Virgo | 250+14 −13 | B1 | Subgiant | | |
| Acrux | 12$^h$ 26$^m$ 35.9$^s$ | –63° 05′ 56″ | Crux | 320±20 | B0.5 IV | Main sequence (blue dwarf) | II | |
| Alpha-2 Crucis | 12$^h$ 26$^m$ 36.4$^s$ | –63° 05′ 58″ | Crux | 320±20 | B1 V | Main sequence (blue dwarf) | II | |
| Zeta Ophiuchi | 16$^h$ 37$^m$ 09.5$^s$ | −10° 34′ 02″ | Ophiuchus | 365±6.52 | O9.5V | Main sequence (blue dwarf) | | |
| Betelgeuse | 05$^h$ 55$^m$ 10.3$^s$ | +07° 24′ 25″ | Orion | ~400–500 | M2Iab | Red supergiant | IIP | |
| Alpha Lupi | 14$^h$ 41$^m$ 55.8$^s$ | –47° 23′ 17″ | Lupus | 465+12 −11 | B1.5 | Blue giant | II | |
| Antares | 16$^h$ 29$^m$ 24.5$^s$ | –26° 25′ 55″ | Scorpius | 554+113 −80 | M1.5Iab-b | Red supergiant | IIP | |
| Pi Puppis | 07$^h$ 17$^m$ 08.6$^s$ | –37° 05′ 51″ | Puppis | 807+72 −61 | K3 Ib | Red supergiant | II? | |
| S Monocerotis A | 06$^h$ 40$^m$ 58.7$^s$ | +09° 53′ 44″ | Monoceros | 920+150 −110 | O7V | Main sequence (blue dwarf) | II | |
| S Monocerotis B | 06$^h$ 40$^m$ 58.7$^s$ | +09° 53′ 44″ | Monoceros | 920+150 −110 | O9.5V | Main sequence (blue dwarf) | II | |
| Rigel | 05$^h$ 14$^m$ 32.3$^s$ | –08° 12′ 06″ | Orion | 1118+30 −28 | B8Ia | Blue supergiant | IIn(pec?) | |
| Gamma$^2$ Velorum | 08$^h$ 09$^m$ 32.0$^s$ | −47° 20′ 12″ | Vela | 1120+130 −100 | WC8 | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic | |
| Alnitak | 05$^h$ 40$^m$ 45.5$^s$ | −01° 56′ 34.3″ | Orion | 1260±180 | O9.5Iab | Blue supergiant | | |
| 119 Tauri | 05$^h$ 32$^m$ 12.8$^s$ | +18° 35′ 40″ | Taurus | 1790+300 −220 | M2Iab-Ib | Red supergiant | IIb | |
| Deneb | 20$^h$ 41$^m$ 25.9$^s$ | +45° 16′ 49″ | Cygnus | 2615±215 | A2la | Blue supergiant | IIL | |
| T Coronae Borealis | 15$^h$ 59$^m$ 30.2$^s$ | +25° 55′ 13″ | Corona Borealis | 2690+110 −100 | M3III/D | White dwarf | Ia | |
| KPD 1930+2752 | 19$^h$ 32$^m$ 14.9$^s$ | +27° 58′ 35″ | Cygnus | 2860+130 −120 | sdB/D | White dwarf | Ia | |
| Mu Cephei | 21$^h$ 43$^m$ 30.5$^s$ | +58° 46′ 48″ | Cepheus | 3060+456 −130 | M2Ia | Red hypergiant | IIn/IIb | |
| Rho Cassiopeiae | 23$^h$ 54$^m$ 23.0$^s$ | +57° 29′ 58″ | Cassiopeia | 3440+930 −610 | G2Ia0e | Yellow hypergiant | IIL | |
| VY Canis Majoris | 07$^h$ 22$^m$ 58.3$^s$ | −25° 46′ 03″ | Canis Major | 3930+420 −350 | M5eIa | Red hypergiant | II | |
| IRAS 17163-3907 | 17$^h$ 19$^m$ 49.3$^s$ | −39° 10′ 37.9″ | Scorpius | 3930+990 −660 | late B/early A | Yellow hypergiant | II | |
| Wray 17-96 | 17$^h$ 41$^m$ 35.4$^s$ | –30° 06′ 39″ | Scorpius | 3940+1110 −710 | B3 | Luminous blue variable | | |
| VV Cephei A | 21$^h$ 56$^m$ 39.1$^s$ | +63° 37′ 32″ | Cepheus | 4900 | M2Iab | Red hypergiant | | |
| Mu Sagittarii | 18$^h$ 13$^m$ 14.8$^s$ | –21° 03′ 32″ | Sagittarius | 5100 | B8Iap | Blue supergiant | | |
| P Cygni | 20$^h$ 17$^m$ 47.2$^s$ | +38° 01′ 59″ | Cygnus | 5250±590 | B1Ia+ | Luminous blue variable | IIb | |
| HD 168625 | 18$^h$ 21$^m$ 19.5$^s$ | −16° 22′ 26″ | Sagittarius | 5250+600 −490 | B6Ia | Luminous blue variable | II | |
| NML Cygni | 20$^h$ 46$^m$ 25.6$^s$ | +40° 06′ 59.4″ | Cygnus | 5250+420 −360 | M6I | Red hypergiant | II | |
| IRC +10420 | 19$^h$ 26$^m$ 48.1$^s$ | +11° 21′ 17″ | Aquila | 5600+2200 −1200 | F8Ia+ | Yellow hypergiant | IIb | |
| WR 142 | 20$^h$ 21$^m$ 44.3$^s$ | +37° 22′ 31″ | Cygnus | 5670+290 −270 | WO2 | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic | |
| WR 136 | 20$^h$ 12$^m$ 06.5$^s$ | +38° 21′ 18″ | Cygnus | 6700+500 −430 | WN6(h)-s | Wolf–Rayet star | Ic | |
| RS Ophiuchi | 17$^h$ 50$^m$ 13.2$^s$ | –06° 42′ 28″ | Ophiuchus | 7380+1000 −790 | M2III/D | White dwarf | Ia | |
| Eta Carinae | 10$^h$ 45$^m$ 03.6$^s$ | −59° 41′ 04″ | Carina | 8630+69 −68 | LBV/O | Luminous blue variable | Ib | |
| WR 93b | 17$^h$ 32$^m$ 03.3$^s$ | −35° 04′ 32″ | Scorpius | 8700+1900 −1300 | WO3 | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic | |
| WR 102 | 17$^h$ 45$^m$ 47.5$^s$ | −26° 10′ 27″ | Sagittarius | 9410+840 −710 | WO2 | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic | |
| HD 179821 | 19$^h$ 13$^m$ 58.6$^s$ | +00° 07′ 32″ | Aquila | 10500+2100 −1500 | G5Ia | Yellow hypergiant | IIL | |
| T Pyxidis | 09$^h$ 04$^m$ 41.5$^s$ | −32° 22′ 48″ | Pyxis | 10700+1700 −1300 | | White dwarf | Ia | |
| WR 104 | 18$^h$ 02$^m$ 04.1$^s$ | –23° 37′ 41″ | Sagittarius | 13400+9200 −3900 | WC9d/OB | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic with Grb? | |
| V445 Puppis | 07$^h$ 37$^m$ 56.9$^s$ | –25° 56′ 59″ | Puppis | 16000+5200 −4600 | | White dwarf | Ia | |
| WR 30a | 10$^h$ 51$^m$ 38.9$^s$ | −60° 56′ 35.2″ | Carina | 38900+18500 −9500 | WO4/O5((f)) | Wolf–Rayet star | | |
| Sher 25 | 11$^h$ 15$^m$ 07.8$^s$ | −61° 15′ 17″ | Carina | 43500+5200 −4200 | B1.5Iab | Blue supergiant | | |
| U Scorpii | 16$^h$ 22$^m$ 30.7$^s$ | –17° 52′ 42″ | Scorpius | 63900+68500 −17300 | | White dwarf | Ia | |
| LMC195-1 | 05$^h$ 18$^m$ 10.3$^s$ | −69° 13′ 03″ | Dorado | 160000 | WO2 | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic | |
| S Doradus | 05$^h$ 18$^m$ 14.4$^s$ | −69° 15′ 01″ | Dorado | 169000 | LBV | Luminous blue variable | | |
| SMC AB8 | 01$^h$ 31$^m$ 04.1$^s$ | −73° 25′ 04″ | Hydrus | 200000 | WO4/O4 | Wolf–Rayet star | Ib/Ic | |