Nick Vanzant
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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.
Jun 15, 2024 · 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.
Jun 13, 2024 · 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.
Jun 19, 2023 · According to NASA, supernovas are "the largest explosion that takes place in space." A new supernova called SN 2023ixf has been making headlines since it first burst into view on May 19, 2023...
Jun 6, 2024 · Don’t confuse a nova with a supernova, a final, titanic explosion that destroys some dying stars, Hounsell said. In a nova event, the dwarf star remains intact, sending the accumulated material hurtling into space in a blinding flash.
A supernova can light the sky up for weeks, and the massive transfer of matter and energy leaves behind a very different star.
Nov 12, 2020 · A supernova is a star's colossal explosion at the end of its life, which can outshine its entire galaxy. Read about causes and types of supernovae here.
Supernovas are some of the brightest events in the universe, occasionally outshining entire galaxies at their peak. Many supernovas can be seen from billions of light-years away, and nearby supernovas in past centuries have been visible during the daytime.
Mar 14, 2023 · Massive stars race through their lifecycles, and only some of them go through a brief Wolf-Rayet phase before going supernova, making Webb’s detailed observations of this rare phase valuable to astronomers.
Supernovae are dramatic explosions that take place during the final stages of the death of a supermassive star. Most stages of astronomical evolution happen over timescales far longer than a human lifetime, and even far longer than humanity’s entire history. Supernova explosions are spectacular exceptions to that rule.
