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 21, 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 …

Mar 13, 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 …

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.

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.

Supernova explosions are spectacular exceptions to that rule. Several different pathways can lead to a supernova explosion, one of which is the death of a supermassive star.

Mar 25, 2026 · NASA's IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission has taken a new observation of a supernova, RCW 86, helping fill in a fuller picture of what other telescopes have observed.