The 'supernova of a generation' shows its stuff
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 15:30
in Astronomy & Space
It was the brightest and closest stellar explosion seen from Earth in 25 years, dazzling professional and backyard astronomers alike. Now, thanks to this rare discovery -- which some have called the "supernova of a generation" -- astronomers have the most detailed picture yet of how this kind of explosion happens.