The explosive death of this star, called KSN 2011d, reaches its maximum brightness in about 14 days. The shock breakout itself lasts only about 20 minutes, so catching the flash of energy is an investigative milestone for astronomers. The unceasing gaze of NASA’s Kepler space telescope allowed astronomers to see, at last, this early moment as the star blows itself to bits. Credit: NASA, ESA, Armin Rest (STScI) and Peter Garnavich (University of Notre Dame)
An international team of astrophysicists led by Prof Peter Garnavich, Notre Dame, has caught 2 supernovae in the act of exploding. Using the Kepler Space Telescope, the team spent 3 years observing 50 trillion stars for the chance to watch as supersonic shockwaves reached their surfaces after explosions deep in the core...
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