supernova

Latest about supernova

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
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this infrared image of the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula. The light from young stars being formed can be seen piercing the clouds of dust and gas.

How long do stars live?

By Colin Stuart last updated

Stars are born amid turbulent clouds, and their deaths can be just as explosive. But how long do stars live? It depends on the size of the star.

Astronomy
An 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' star in a distant galaxy survived its own supernova explosion, appearing again even brighter than before.

Rare 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' star survives death by supernova, returns stronger and brighter

By Brandon Specktor published

A white dwarf star exploded in a supernova and survived, reappearing even brighter than before. In a new study, scientists hypothesize why.

Astronomy
A 0.1-ounce (3-gram) sample of the Hypatia stone.

Alien stone in Egyptian desert came from rare supernova, scientists say

By Ben Turner published

The rock likely formed from the merging of dust with the remnants of the two stars involved in the explosion.

Extraterrestrial Life
A colorized image of Cassiopeia A based on data from the Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes.

Strange 'reverse shock wave' supernova is exploding in the wrong direction

By Harry Baker published

Data collected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have revealed that a supernova shock wave traveling through the Cassiopeia A nebula is not expanding as evenly as it should be.

Astronomy
A still image from a visualization showing the Eta Carinae supernova expanding into space.

Eta Carinae's epic supernova explosion comes to life in new visualization

By Elizabeth Howell published

Data from three space telescopes help tell the story of Eta Carinae's explosion.

Astronomy
Artist's illustration of the Local Bubble with the sun's location in the center and star formation occurring on the bubble's surface.

Earth is at the center of a 1,000-light-year-wide 'Swiss cheese' bubble carved out by supernovas

By Harry Baker published

A new study into the Local Bubble, a cosmic void surrounding Earth, has mapped out the star-forming regions on the bubble's surface and uncovered more information about its explosive birth.

Astronomy
An artist’s rendition of a red supergiant star transitioning into a Type II supernova, emitting a violent eruption of radiation and gas on its dying breath before collapsing and exploding.

Scientists watched a star explode in real time for the first time ever

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists watched a red supergiant star go supernova in real time, and it was far more violent than they were expecting.

Astronomy
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