Astronomers have discovered the brightest star explosion ever, a super supernova that outshines its closest competitors by 2-to-1.
An international team reported the findings Thursday in the journal Science. The astronomers used a network of telescopes around the world to spot the record-breaking supernova last year.
Super luminous supernovas — extra bright stellar explosions — are believed to be rare. The newly discovered supernova is especially rare. It is more than twice as luminous as other observed stellar megablasts. At its peak, it's 20 times more luminous than the entire Milky Way.
It is located in a galaxy of unknown distance. The next step for scientists is to figure out its incredible power source. Other super supernovas, like this one, could be out there.
