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

Then as now, two research teams led the way, using supernovas anchored to Cepheids and arriving at disagreeing values of 50 km/s/Mpc and 100 km/s/Mpc. —Liz Kruesi, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2024

But while supernovas occur only once, a nova can happen again and again. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Sep. 2024

Historically, ancient observations of supernovas have been of supreme importance for modern astrophysics, said Bradley Schaefer, a professor emeritus of astrophysics and astronomy at Louisiana State University, who was not involved with the latest study. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024

Rubin Observatory Promotional Video Watch on Further afield, Rubin will image millions of galaxies, flagging those where exploding stars known as supernovas are spotted. —Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 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