A supernova (pl.: supernovae) 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 …

Mar 1, 2026 · 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 …

7 hours ago · Related: Nasa's James Webb telescope captures stunning new supernova image A cosmic mystery surrounding the universe's most dazzling explosions, superluminous supernovas, …

A supernova is the explosive death of a star, releasing more energy in a few weeks than our Sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. At peak brightness, a single supernova can match the …

Jan 20, 2026 · A supernova of a star more than about 10 times the size of our sun may leave behind the densest objects in the universe— black holes. The Crab Nebula is the leftover, or remnant, of a …

7 hours ago · A new study explains how some supernovas are particularly dazzling—the glow from a magnetic, spinning ball of neutrons called a magnetar. An assist from Einstein is what settled the case

What is a supernova? Learn how massive stars explode, the types of supernovae, and the famous cosmic events captured by astronomers.