supernova

noun

su·​per·​no·​va ˌsü-pər-ˈnō-və 

1

: the explosion of a star in which the star may reach a maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

2

: one that explodes into prominence or popularity

also : superstar

Did you know?

A nova, despite its name, isn't actually a "new" star, but rather one that wasn't noticed until it exploded, when it may increase in brightness by a million times before returning to its previous state a few days later. A supernova is far larger; a star in its supernova state may emit a billion times as much light as previously. After a few weeks it begins to dim, until it eventually ceases to exist; it's often replaced by a black hole. (Though remains that were shot out into space may survive; those of a great supernova seen in A.D. 1054 are now known as the Crab Nebula.) All this may serve as a warning to those human stars whose fame explodes too rapidly; supernovas of this kind have sometimes vanished by the following year.

Synonyms

• blockbuster
• hit
• megahit
• smash
• success
• winner

Examples of supernova in a Sentence

tragically, a shoulder injury cut short the pitching career of one of baseball's brightest supernovas

Recent Examples on the Web

Rubin's wide field of view will enable it to produce alerts for transient events like supernovas or asteroids within 120 seconds, generating 20 terabytes of data each night, ultimately creating the largest astronomical movie ever. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024

Related article Webb telescope captures ‘green monster’ inside a young supernova The violent outbursts of supernovas typically destroy white dwarfs, but the partial explosion, known as a rare Type lax supernova, left behind a zombie star instead. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024

Pop supernova Chappell Roan may have another project in the works following her successful debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024

Recent research by Chamba and colleagues has also shed light on the role that supernovas might play in the dispersion of gas within a galaxy — where 'stellar feedback' can influence the inflows and outflows of gas in a galaxy which either supports or negates star formation. —Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

supernova

noun

su·​per·​no·​va ˌsü-pər-ˈnō-və 

: the explosion of a very large star in which the star temporarily gives off up to one billion times more energy than the sun