A supernova (pl.: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion.

Jan 17, 2025 · supernova, any of a class of violently exploding stars whose luminosity after eruption suddenly increases many millions of times its normal level. The term supernova is derived from nova (Latin: “new”), the name for another type of exploding star. Supernovae resemble novae in several respects.

Jan 14, 2025 · A supernova is the biggest explosion that humans have ever seen. Each blast is the extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star. An illustration of one of the brightest and most energetic supernova explosions ever recorded. Image credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss. What causes a supernova?

Jun 19, 2023 · Supernovas can briefly outshine entire galaxies and radiate more energy than our sun will in its entire lifetime. They're also the primary source of heavy elements in the universe. According to...

A supernova is the colossal explosion of a star. Scientists have identified several types of supernova. One type, called a “core-collapse” supernova, occurs in the last stage in the life of massive stars that are at least eight times larger than our Sun. As these stars burn the fuel in their cores, they produce heat.

1 day ago · The subject of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is a supernova-hosting galaxy located about 600 million light-years away in the constellation Gemini. Hubble captured this image roughly two months after a supernova named SN 2022aajn was discovered. The supernova is visible as a blue dot at the center of the image, brightening the hazy body of …

These stars end their evolutions in massive cosmic explosions known as supernovae. When supernovae explode, they jettison matter into space at some 9,000 to 25,000 miles (15,000 to 40,000...

Dec 23, 2024 · What is a Supernova? This is the biggest explosion that will ever light up the modern universe. Every blast is the extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star. Supernovas are so bright that they can be seen across the universe, outshining their entire galaxies for a few days or even months. How Rare is a Supernova?

Nov 12, 2020 · A supernova is the name given to the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star at the end of its life. It can emit more energy in a few seconds than our sun will radiate in its lifetime of...

5 days ago · The farther away a supernova is, the fainter and redder it will appear — but intergalactic dust can make a supernova appear fainter and redder as well. To understand this complication, researchers will use Hubble to survey a total of 100 Type Ia supernovae in seven wavelength bands from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared.