Supernovae Have Diverse Beginnings

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The processes that cause Type Ia Supernovae, one of whose remnants are shown here, are increasingly debated / NASA

Textbooks may need to be rewritten as evidence emerges that most Type Ia supernovae are caused by colliding stars. One study providing such evidence also suggests that these explosions start off with surprising variation, even when their peaks look similar.

Type Ia supernovae are particularly exciting to astronomers because they are usually thought to be equally luminous, allowing us to calculate their distance using their brightness.