The most complete portrait of a supernova ever

Accounts of supernovae—exploding stars—go back thousands of years, and while we know today these events create the building blocks of life itself, there are still unanswered questions about the conditions that cause a ...

Astronomers witness a dying star reach its explosive end

For the very first time, astronomers have imaged in real time the dramatic end to a red supergiant's life, watching the massive star's rapid self-destruction and final death throes before it collapsed into a Type II supernova.

Chemical signatures of iron predict red supergiant temperature

Red supergiants are a class of star that end their lives in supernova explosions. Their lifecycles are not fully understood, partly due to difficulties in measuring their temperatures. For the first time, astronomers have ...

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