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.

Apr 3, 2025 · A supernova is the biggest explosion that humans have ever seen. Each blast is the extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star. An illustration of one of the brightest and most energetic supernova explosions ever recorded. Image credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss. What causes a supernova?

Jun 19, 2023 · Supernovas can briefly outshine entire galaxies and radiate more energy than our sun will in its entire lifetime. They're also the primary source of heavy elements in the universe. According to...

Mar 1, 2025 · 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 (Latin: “new”), the name for another type of exploding star. Supernovae resemble novae in several respects.

Supernovas are some of the brightest events in the universe, occasionally outshining entire galaxies at their peak. Many supernovas can be seen from billions of light-years away, and nearby supernovas in past centuries have been visible during the daytime.

Nov 12, 2020 · A supernova is the name given to the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star at the end of its life. It can emit more energy in a few seconds than our sun will radiate in its lifetime of...

These stars end their evolutions in massive cosmic explosions known as supernovae. When supernovae explode, they jettison matter into space at some 9,000 to 25,000 miles (15,000 to 40,000...