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5 days ago · Learn about the causes, types, brightness, and effects of supernovas, the biggest explosions in the universe. Find out how NASA scientists use telescopes to study these spectacular events and what they reveal about the origin of elements and the expansion of space.
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.
May 25, 2024 · Learn about supernovae, the explosive events that end the lives of massive stars and create many of the elements in the universe. Find out the types, history, and examples of supernovae, and how they are observed and studied by astronomers.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jun 19, 2023 · A supernova is what happens when a star has reached the end of its life and explodes in a brilliant burst of light. Supernovas can briefly outshine entire galaxies and radiate more energy than...
Nov 12, 2020 · A supernova is the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star at the end of its life. Learn about the different types of supernovae, their causes, effects and examples, and how they are classified by their spectra.
Mar 14, 2023 · Learn how Webb's infrared instruments reveal the details of a Wolf-Rayet star, a massive star that will soon explode as a supernova. See how Webb's observations of cosmic dust and gas around the star can help astronomers understand the origins of the universe and the dust budget.
Feb 24, 2017 · Three decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. The titanic supernova, called Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months following its discovery on Feb. 23, 1987.
