Astronomers discover new kind of supernova
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - 13:00
in Astronomy & Space
Supernovae were always thought to occur in two main varieties. But a team of astronomers is reporting the discovery of a new type of supernova called Type Iax. Previously, supernovae were divided into either core-collapse or Type Ia categories. Core-collapse supernovae are the explosion of a star about 10 to 100 times as massive as our sun. Type Ia supernovae are the complete disruption of a tiny white dwarf.