A supernova is the biggest explosion that humans have ever seen. Each blast is the extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star. One type of supernova is caused by the “last hurrah” of a dying massive star. This happens when a star at least five times the mass of our sun goes out with a fantastic bang! Massive stars burn huge amounts of nuclear fuel at their cores, or centers. This produces tons of energy, so the center gets very hot. Heat generates pressure, and the pressure created by

How is an exploding star like a tape measure? That’s not a riddle! Astronomers use a type of supernova, called type Ia, to measure distances to faraway galaxies. These supernovae come from the collapse of a type of dead star called a white dwarf. Since they are all triggered by similar events, we know approximately how much light they emit. Using that, and how bright they appear to be, we can tell how far away these supernovae were. It’s like having a giant ruler. #NationalTapeMeasureDay | NASA

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has seen the flash of an exploding star for the first time | Sky News