supernova

Latest about supernova

An illustration of a rare binary star system consisting of a massive star and a dead neutron star orbiting one another

'1-in-10-billion' star system is doomed to explode in a fiery kilonova

By Stephanie Pappas published

Scientists have discovered an extremely rare star system that is doomed to explode in a 'kilonova' caused by the merger of two neutron stars.

Astronomy
An artist's impression of a bright gamma-ray burst erupting from the collision of two neutron stars 1.1 billion light-years from Earth.

The brightest, most energetic explosions in the universe don't come from where we thought

By Brandon Specktor published

While tracking an incredibly bright gamma-ray burst to its origins, scientists uncovered a hidden explosion that could upend decades of research.

Astronomy
Image of the gamma-ray burst from the Swift observatory, showing a bright center surrounded by bands of orange circles.

Gamma-ray burst may represent the most powerful cosmic explosion ever recorded

By Robert Lea published

Astronomers stunned by 'brightest of all time' gamma-ray burst reckon it could be the most powerful space explosion since the Big Bang

Astronomy
An artist's impression of Betelgeuse's supernova.

Astronomers develop 'early warning system' to watch supernova explosions tear through the cosmos in real time

By Jamie Carter published

The system would alert astronomers when a red supergiant is just months away from exploding.

Astronomy
Every eight years, the two stars in WR140 produce another ring of dust as they pass each other in orbit.

James Webb Telescope captures starlight nudging dust from a dying star into space

By Ben Turner last updated

The astronomers took 16 years to study the movements of the gas clouds.

Astronomy
A Spitzer Space Telescope image of the Milky Way's center, where ancient black holes and dead stars dwell.

A 'galactic underworld' of ancient, blown-up stars lurks just beneath the Milky Way's surface

By Brandon Specktor published

Where are all the galaxy's dead stars hiding? New research draws the map.

Astronomy
A gold coin minted during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX may show a supernova that lit up the sky for more than a year.

Rare Byzantine coin may show a 'forbidden' supernova explosion from A.D. 1054

By Brandon Specktor published

A rare Byzantine gold coin may depict the ancient supernova SN 1054 in clear defiance of the church.

Human Behavior
This NASA illustration depicts a solitary black hole in space, with its gravity warping the view of stars and galaxies in the background.

The 7 most terrifying things in space

By Jamie Carter published

Here are seven of the most terrifying things in space, including solar flares, black holes and supernovas.

Astronomy
This four-panel graphic illustrates how the southern region of the rapidly evolving, bright, red supergiant star Betelgeuse may have suddenly become fainter for several months during late 2019 and early 2020. In the first two panels, as seen in ultraviolet light with the Hubble Space Telescope, a bright, hot blob of plasma is ejected from the emergence of a huge convection cell on the star's surface. In panel three, the outflowing, expelled gas rapidly expands outward. It cools to form an enormous cloud of obscuring dust grains. The final panel reveals the huge dust cloud blocking the light (as seen from Earth) from a quarter of the star's surface.

One of the brightest stars in the sky dimmed in 2019. Now we know why.

By Stephanie Pappas published

The star Betelgeuse visibly dimmed in 2019. A new analysis finds that it blew off a huge amount of its surface.

Astronomy
Poof!

Monstrous ‘Kilonova’ Explosions May Be Showering a Nearby Galaxy in Gold

By Brandon Specktor last updated

The universe's most massive objects are crashing into each other, and they're leaving a rain of gold and platinum behind them.

Cosmology
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