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A powerful and luminous explosion of a massive star at the end of its life.
Supernovas happen when heavy stars run out of nuclear fuel and can no longer support their own weight against gravity. The core collapses violently, releasing heavy elements into space and leaving behind a dense remnant like a neutron star or black hole.
Astronomers discovered that a repeating fake supernova is caused by a hidden black hole or neutron star stealing material from a massive, unstable star.
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has returned to Earth after operating for nearly 22 years.
New computer simulations show that powerful magnetic fields inside dead stars might help them grow far larger than a well-known physics limit.
