Discovery of a light echo from SN 2003gd

HST/ACS data reveal details of a light echo around SN 2003gd in the galaxy M74, only the fifth supernova around which resolved echoes have been reported. An echo is detected 0.3 from the supernova between position angles of 250 degrees and 360 degrees, with a fainter signal present at a few other position angles. This material lies similar to 180 pc in front of the supernova, with a thickness of 60-120 pc, and may delineate the disk of M74. This structure has a gas density of 1-2 cm(-3), typical of the interstellar medium; however, the dust grains are smaller than those found in our Galaxy, with maximum grain sizes around 0.25 mu m. Since only one epoch of data exists, in two wave bands and with a low signal-to-noise ratio, deeper annual visits should be made with HST and ground-based adaptive optics telescopes.