Supernova

/ˌsuːpərˈnoʊvə/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.

The supernova of the star was visible from Earth with unprecedented brightness.

A stellar explosion that often results in the formation of a neutron star or a black hole.

Astronomers observed the remnants of a supernova, marking the end of a massive star's life cycle.

An event that marks the death of a star and the release of energy that can outshine an entire galaxy for a short period.

The supernova occurred in a distant galaxy, providing insights into the universe's evolution.

A phenomenon that produces important chemical elements through the nucleosynthesis occurring in the explosion.

The supernova enriched the surrounding interstellar medium with heavy elements like gold and uranium.

From the Latin 'super' meaning 'above' and 'nova' meaning 'new', referring to a star that appears suddenly brighter than expected.

supernova remnant

The leftover material and radiation from a supernova explosion.

type Ia supernova

A specific class of supernova resulting from the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf star.

nova

A star that suddenly increases in brightness and then slowly returns to its original state.

neutron star

An incredibly dense star that is the remnant core of a supernova.

An event of extreme significance or impact.

That party was a supernova, everyone's talking about it!