News in Brief Astronomy

An amateur astronomer caught a supernova explosion on camera

The Argentine stargazer captured the star's death in series of nearly 100 images

exploding supernova

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME  In September 2016, an amateur astronomer was looking at spiral galaxy NGC 613 (shown), located about 65 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor, and caught a supernova exploding.

Smartt/Queen’s University Belfast, NASA, Hubble/ESA, Robert Gendler

By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

An amateur astronomer caught a supernova on camera during the explosion’s earliest moments, giving physicists a glimpse of a long-sought phase of stellar death.