Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Hypernovae May Be All Hype, No Nova

This artist's illustration shows a hypernova, an extremely luminous and energetic type of supernova. They occur when a star with more than about 30 solar masses reaches the end of its life and explodes. Evidence for them is thin, and new research pokes holes in what little there is. Image Credit: Anna Serena Esposito/Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

Astrophysicists think that hypernovae are the most powerful stellar explosions in the Universe. They're the most explosive type of core-collapse supernova. But the evidence for them is not voluminous, and new research pokes holes in it, pointing out that hypernovae may not actually exist.



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