Short, Sharp Shocks Let Slip The Stories Of Supernovae

Space





Photo credit:

A Type Ia supernova designated SN 2014J in the galaxy M82, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA, ESA, A. Goobar (Stockholm University), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), CC BY

When we look up at the night sky, it’s easy to feel as though the stars we see have always been, and always will be, there. But just like ourselves, stars are born and die.

And when they die, they sometimes do not go gently but end their lives in supernovae – gigantic explosions that, at their brightest, outshine entire galaxies of stars.