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

What does a supernova look like? This visualization simulates the first 150 milliseconds of a supernova. As the star collapses in on itself, hot gas emits from its core in uneven shock waves. Researchers use computer simulations like this to more accurately understand the events of a dying star. | NASA Ames Research Center