Star Meets Stunning End by Exploding Twice
Astronomers have, for the first time, witnessed a star meeting a dramatic end by exploding twice. In a study published in Nature Astronomy, researchers analyzed the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, finding the first visual evidence of a star’s “double-detonation.” Most supernovae are the explosive result of massive stars collapsing when they exhaust their nuclear fuel. Others, though, come from white dwarfs, the ina