News > Giant dying star explodes as scientists watch in real time

Giant dying star explodes as scientists watch in real time

Before they go out in a blaze of glory, some stars experience violent eruptions or release glowing hot layers of gas. Until astronomers witnessed this event, they believed that red supergiants were relatively quiet before exploding into a supernova or collapsing into a dense neutron star.

Instead, scientists watched the star self-destruct in a dramatic fashion before collapsing in a type II supernova.