Observations of Exploding Star in ‘Real Time’ Deemed a Major Step Towards Predicting Supernovas - Gizmodo

A star located 60 million light years away went supernova last year, and astronomers managed to capture all stages of the stellar explosion using telescopes both on the ground and in space.

The doomed star has been known to astronomers for quite some time, but in April 2020, it suddenly went supernova, earning it the designation SN 2020fqv.

Of course, it took 60 million years for the light from this supernova to reach Earth, so it’s not exactly happening in “real time,” but you get what Foley is saying.

The star shed this material during the past year, offering a unique perspective of the various stages that occur just prior to a supernova explosion.

Of course, it took 60 million years for the light from this supernova to reach Earth, so it’s not exactly happening in “real time,”