Imagine you see a brilliant star that came into view all of a sudden in the sky at night. Though it was not there a few hours ago, it is now burning brightly. That brilliant point in the sky is a star exploding at the end of its life. Such an explosion is called a supernova (plural: supernovas or supernovae). NASA calls it ‘the largest explosion that takes place in space.’
Supernovae can shine brighter than an entire galaxy and generate more energy than what the Sun can make in its entire existence. The primary sources of heavy elements in the universe are supernovae. Ancient civilizations have recorded supernovas long before the invention of telescopes. RCW 86 is the oldest recorded supernova. It was seen by Chinese astronomers in 185 AD. The most famous among known supernovae is Crab Nebula.
The term ‘supernova’ came into use only in the 1930s. Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky of Mount Wilson Observatory first used it in relation to an explosive event they observed, called S Andromedae or SN 1885A.
Picture Credit : Google
