
New type of supernova discovered by astronomers
CNN
Astronomers have discovered a new type of supernova, or star explosion, and it provides a new window into the violent life cycle of stars. The new research, focused on supernova 2018zd, confirms a prediction made by University of Tokyo astronomer Ken'ichi Nomoto more than 40 years ago.
Amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki in Japan observed supernova 2018zd in March 2018, spurring astronomers to use telescopes to study it about three hours after it occurred. The supernova happened about 31 million light-years from Earth and archival images from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes allowed scientists to see the faint star prior to explosion. This was the first time astronomers were able to see a star like this before and after going supernova.More Related News