A rare glimpse of a star before it went supernova defies expectations

The discovery hints at unusual scenarios for how stars can evolve before they explode

galaxy NGC 4666

A star that fueled a recent supernova in the nearby galaxy NGC 4666 (pictured) has astronomers scratching their heads.

J. Dietrich/ESO

A rare glimpse of a star before it exploded in a fiery supernova looks nothing like astronomers expected, a new study suggests.