When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An illustration shows a neutron star surrounded by green magnetic field lines in the fiery shell ...

A flash of energetic light lasts only ten seconds, yet it has completely turned around our understanding of the timeline for ...

This article (originally published Aug. 13, 2025) has been updated to include new text and illustrations featured in the Jan.

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: MARK GARLICK via Getty Images Astronomers have watched a massive star vanish in the night ...

Massive stars, those with initial masses exceeding eight times that of the Sun, undergo complex evolutionary processes that ultimately culminate in spectacular supernova explosions. During their ...

Orsola De Marco received funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated (non-executive director of the Board) with Astronomy Australia Ltd. a not-for-profit company serving Australian ...

It’s easy to forget that stars, just like us, have lifetimes. They’re born, they live, and eventually, they die. And for some stars, their death is dramatic, producing an explosion so powerful it can ...

"Most of the external layers of a massive star are removed during the supernova, but some material falls back, making the neutron star spin faster." When you purchase through links on our site, we may ...