To date, there’s only sufficiently robust evidence for the existence of two classes of supernovae—that is, star explosions. But there have been plenty of signs that there are likely other types in the ...

This article (originally published Aug. 13, 2025) has been updated to include new text and illustrations featured in the Jan.

It’s easy to forget that stars, just like us, have lifetimes. They’re born, they live, and eventually, they die. And for some stars, their death is dramatic, producing an explosion so powerful it can ...

The exploding stars known as Type Ia supernovae serve an important role in measuring the universe, and were used to discover the existence of dark energy. They’re bright enough to see across large ...

To date, there’s only sufficiently robust evidence for the existence of two classes of supernovae—that is, star explosions. But there have been plenty of signs that there are likely other types in the ...

Supernova 2018zd, marked with a white circle on the outskirts of galaxy NGC2146, is the first example of a new, third type of supernova predicted 40 years ago. Composite image with data from the ...

An international team of astronomers has captured the very first evidence of a new type of supernova. “One of the main questions in astronomy is to compare how stars evolve and how they die,” said ...

Astronomers have observed what they are calling a new type of supernova, which has provided an unparalleled glimpse into what happens deep within a star just before it explodes. A study detailing the ...